Dark Shadow
by The ORIGINAL Corky
Summary: It’d been 17 years since the turtles went up against Usagi Higgins and his evil henchmen. Now, all those years later, they find themselves battling him once more. This time, in order to save themselves they have to go up against their greatest foe yet...
1. Chapter 1

Dark Shadow

By: Corky Castel

Rating: PG-13/R

Genre: Family/Angst

Summary: It'd been 17 years since the turtles went up against Usagi Higgins and his evil henchmen in an attempt to take back what was rightfully theirs. Now, all those years later, they find themselves battling him once more. This time, in order to save themselves and their families they must go up against their greatest foe yet…

**Author's Note: I FINALLY have returned. Sorry about such the wait, folks. One thing after another happened and I FINALLY have been able to get online and onto fanfic to post this. This is my latest TMNT: Family Ties Series--DARK SHADOW!! YAAAAY! Read and enjoy. Don't forget to review, please?!**

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Chapter One: Prologue

:Cassidy's POV:

Things have not been easy for us kids trying to grow up in a cramped sewer lair for the past 16 years. Dad keeps telling me to 'quit'cha bitchin', I did it widout half da stuff you've got now, an' I was grateful for da little we did 'ave." Sure he did. Believe it or not, but I did use to listen to Grandpa Splinter when he talked –especially when he gave his famous proverbs that I could usually link back to dad and his brothers. Grateful my shell! He hated it every bit as much as we do.

It's not that it's really all that terrible down here, I suppose. I mean, I was born and raised in this very same lair and since I was able to walk have had fairly free reign over the tunnels outside the lair, we can yell shout and scream 'til our throats go out without worrying about being heard; but really…put yourself in my shoes…if _you_ were a sixteen year old dude forced to live your life hidden underground cuz your dad and uncle are too paranoid about you getting kidnapped when all you want to do is go topside, find a friend outside of your own family, and actually feel real sunshine and grass between your toes…would _you_ be happy down here? Yeah…didn't think so. And don't think it's just me who feels this way; I'm not. Nope.

My younger brother Chris feels the same way. Of course, then again, I can understand why no one would let _him_ go topside! That boy is trouble just waiting to happen. He's only fourteen and already is a bigger trouble maker than half the thugs on the streets above. He would be a pretty ok kid…if he didn't have such a bad attitude and short fuse. Uncle Don keeps telling dad it's his own fault…it's karma baby…the great cosmic kick in the tail…a taste of his own medicine even…Grandpa Splinter's way of looking down on him and saying, "Now you know what _I_ had to go thru with you!" Well…actually…he wouldn't say it like that…it'd probably be more like, "Now, you see my son, the anger and aggression I tried so hard to harness. Perhaps _now_, you will learn the errors of your ways." Yeah, that sounds more like him.

Of course his partner-in-crime (and I use that term quite literally by the way), isn't much better. I really feel bad for Aunt Gwen and Uncle Mike. They keep questioning what they did to deserve the crap Chip puts them through all the time. He's pretty much exactly like my brother, it's really pretty creepy. Only difference is, Chip is a year older than Chris. Then again, now that I think about it…I'd have a crappy attitude too if my mother insisted on naming me after a Disney character. I do have to say that wasn't one of Aunt Gwen's greatest ideas.

His twin sister on the other hand, Tabitha, is a total 180 of him. Tabby-Cat is so bubbly she makes champagne look bad! She's constantly looking on the bright side of things, which has its moments of being good…but other times is really just seriously annoying as shell. I really think the only reason no one's killed her for being overly bright and sunny all the time is the fact that she is an absolute amazing artist. You give that girl a piece of paper and art supplies and watch out! She's got paintings and drawings of every family member plastered all over the lair. She even did an amazing mural of Grandpa Splinter training our dads on one wall of the dojo, them kickin' the shit out of evil ninja's on a second wall, and then of us kids being trained by our dads on a third wall. The fourth wall she left empty saying it's reserved for when us kids do something really important using our ninja training. Yeah…sure Tabby…like _that's_ ever gonna happen! Us doing something important is about as likely as Dale getting into the Xtreme Sports stream.

Speaking of Dale, he's a whole other story all of his own…well…ok maybe not a whole other story but…you know what I mean. Actually, it's pretty funny to think each of our dads got stuck with at least one kid who shadows the way they acted as kids. Dale would be what Uncle Mike has –sometimes affectionately—dubbed his 'mini me'. Dale is only 11 years old and thinks he's the greatest thing to hit skateboarding since the invention of no-slip foot grip paper (ya know…that sandpaper stuff they super glue to the top of the boards to keep the skaters feet from flying off?). Which, I guess, he _is_ pretty good…he would probably have a chance at showing off his skills on one of those extreme sports shows but, since we can't go topside, he's forced to show off to us…which honestly, gets old very, _very_ quickly. Nah, Dale's an ok kid though. He loves to pick on Chip though just to get him riled up, keeps calling themselves 'Chip-n-Dale's Rescue Rangers'. Heh…I don't think Chip will ever forgive Aunt Gwen for giving Dale her old tapes of that show. Dale's such a goofball though; he's really not happy if he's not pulling pranks, making us all laugh, or skateboarding of course.

'Member how I said each dad got stuck with at least one kid who was their shadow? Well in Uncle Donnie's case his shadow came in a petite thirteen year old female body named Delaney Marie. Delaney is an absolute brainiac. Don't tell Uncle Donnie but uh, _she's_ the one who hacks into his computers and loops the surveillance cameras to show empty tunnels when us kids want to sneak out and not be seen. Laney's a fun kid to be around. She's funny, smart and has a way about her that somehow is able to get her out of most trouble…_most_. There was one time she greased Uncle Leo's katanas…not a good idea and let me tell ya, Uncle Leo let her _know_ it wasn't a good idea, or very funny. Of course it wasn't funny to _him_! But to us kids watching him try to get a good hold on the hilts and pull them out of their sheaths, it was frickin' hilarious! Yeah, Laney's got her trouble making side, but trust me…she's no worse than Dale and a whole heap better than Chip and Chris.

Her younger brother Dean is another genius but in another area all together. Ever since he could crawl he'd been trying to make music on anything his chubby little hands could get onto. It was mostly all his mom's stuff that he got into, keyboards, guitar, flute, recorder…anything really. He used to give Dad a splitting headache by pounding wooden spoons on empty garbage cans and pots and pans. He's a pretty quiet kid though for being nine years old, especially considering his insane interest in music. He doesn't say a whole lot, but then again, given the fact that Chip, Chris, and Liz have tagged him with the nickname 'Malinda' off the show "Ghost Whisperer" (and believe me, that's the _nicest_ thing they call him) I can understand why he doesn't say much. Apparently—and I only say that because I'm an impartial kind of guy—Dean was born with more than just an incredible ability to make music with just about anything…he was born with a gift to see into the great beyond. Kind of psychic like, I guess you could say. He can see and sense things before they happen…but since he's only nine and at least three of his cousins already think him a freak (funny huh? We should be the last bunch of people to think someone else a freak), he usually keeps his inside info to himself. I keep telling him to give me the winning lotto numbers for the big money but, I get nothing. Oh, uh…one other thing about Dean that makes him a little…uh…unusual I guess…is the fact that through whatever powers there might be above, Dean was born human. So that poor kid's got three strikes against him already. Uncle Don seems to think that the mutagen that gave them human characteristics had just enough human DNA in it to mix in with theirs therefore giving them a one-in-four chance of at least one kid being born fully human…or something like that. I usually blank out while Uncle Don's talking.

Of course, Dean's not the _only_ fully human kid in our clan. Elizabeth and her younger brother's are full blooded human…but then again, they were all also born to two full humans. Oysh gabora though! Liz is a major trip, I tell ya. She's just…creepy. And not in a cool way…if creepy can be cool. She's sixteen years old and there's nothin' sweet about that girl. She's like…a clone of my dad gone horribly wrong! She hates the sewers more than any of us, which is understandable, she spent the first six full years and four half years of her life above ground and then when her mom married Uncle Leo she and her brothers got forced to live down here with us 'weird-o's'. Yeah, like she's not as weird as the rest of us. Ya know, there's a good reason why the kids in her high school call her Wednesday Adams. She's like the ultimate goth/ emo/ punk girl…I honestly think she could give ol' Wednesday a run for her money. She's constantly dressed in black clothes, has a long black trench coat (which in this day and age in New York City she's lucky she's never been shot or arrested for suspected terrorism against the US or suspected Unibomber or something like that), big bulky pair of biker boots with all sorts of silver buckles—which quite frankly I don't think they're needed for anything other than to weigh them down even more than they already are—and her hair is jet black…I'm talking dead of night-Reaper's cloak-'Quoth the Raven, Never more' kind of black. And she for some reason didn't seem to appreciate my suggestion of getting blonde highlights put in. Oh, and did I mention she wears these bracelets and chokers with spikes sticking out of them? Yeah, she's a creepy one…seriously. Creepy enough to make me sleep with my bo-staff under my bed just incase she decides to go Lizzie Borden on us in the middle of the night and tries to attack me with her sais. Oh my God…I just now put two-and-two together…Liz is named after Lizzie Borden! Now she's even creepier!

We're all seriously lucky that Henry and George turned out about as normal as the rest of us. The second pair of twins in our family, they're a lot like Chip and Tabby…uh, well, except for the whole gender thing and neither of them have a bad attitude, they aren't the greatest artists…heh, well, you know what I mean. They're about as different as night and day I guess is what I'm saying. Henry's the oldest of the two…I think. Well, doesn't really matter they're both eleven anyways. But how we got so lucky as to have another goody-goody-know-it-all-two-shoes I'll never know. I really wouldn't be a bit surprised if he graduates high school before he turns seventeen. That boy is seriously good at just about everything he tries (just don't ask him to sing…the boy's a horrible singer) which makes the majority of us want to pummel him with nunchakus most of the time.

And actually, I feel bad for George. He's got a psycho older sister probably making trouble with every teacher she comes in contact with which will probably carry down to when he gets into those grades so they're going to be waiting for him to go all Chucky Doll Killer on them and if they don't think that then they're all going to think he's just as smart as Henry is. The poor kid's gotta try to shine through two rather intimidating shadows. Which I know is really hard for him to do since he's pretty shy and quiet himself. He's a loner ya know. Not creepy loner like Lizzie Borden Reborn is…but that kid that probably sits by himself at lunch cuz he's too shy to make friends and has kids making up stupid rumors like he's a social misfit who's secretly writing down the names of every teacher and student to piss him off so he can bring a gun to school and shoot them all down. Yeah right…please…he doesn't even like doing katas and practicing. He's a total pacifist. I have to spar against him from time to time and I gotta tell ya, there's not a fighting bone in his body. Sure, maybe if his life or the lives of one of us were in danger he'd step up and do some serious damage but…he's not nearly odd and recluse enough to go serial killer on anyone.

Then there's little baby Mitsu who is the cutest little girl to run through this lair. Long black hair in Shirley Temple curls, big bright brown eyes, heart of gold, a smile that could light up the entire state of New Jersey, a laugh that could bring about the birth of thousands of fairies…all that and more wrapped up in the body of a little five year old. She seriously loves anything and everyone and even when she's sick doesn't complain. She's like a mini-Tabby only not quite. I _have_ seen her upset a couple of times…like the time she tried to take Liz's doll Molly. She didn't like the fact that Liz snatched the doll from her, shoved her out of her room, and then slammed her little fingers in the door. But if I were her, I wouldn't have been happy either. I mean…for some of us fingers are hard to come by! In her case, she's only got three on both hands and if those are taken off she's screwed. She's really a cutie though…she looks just like Uncle Leo except with hair. That girl was born full turtle…well, except for the hair bit of course. Even though it's hard to tell at her age, I have the feeling that she's going to be Uncle Leo's mini-me. Fate can't like him _that_ much that he wouldn't get stuck with a shadow. I mean come on, that girl sticks to him like glue and worships the very ground he walks on. If she doesn't turn out like him at least even the slightest bit…I don't think any of us will be very happy.

Gads knows just cuz I'm the oldest and was first to get my bandana doesn't mean I'm the leader. No thanks, I'd rather play flunky. But of course, that's not the way things work and for some strange reason my cousins all look to me for advice and guidance. What do I look like? A freakin' guidance counselor? Ok, yeah, so I sometimes know what I'm talking about and Uncle Leo has been trying since day one to mold _me_ into his mini-minion but…it's a title I'm not to thrilled at one day receiving.

Ugh, speaking of the Oh-Fearless-One…he and Aunt Su got married a few years back. Actually, come to think of it, it was more than a few years. George and Henry were about five when they finally tied the knot. It took 'em long enough. I guess after Uncle Leo saved her life, Aunt Su and her kids moved back up top for awhile splitting time between there and here until Liz was ten and they moved down here pretty much full-time. Aunt Su still has their home topside for business reasons…and so that if Dean or the other three human kids want a friend to stay over they have someplace to go that's safe and not a sewer. Heaven forbid should we give our location away. And actually, come to think of it, Aunt Gwen has an apartment topside too so if she needs to put a real address on something and not just a Post Office Box number she can. I think they may also have that put down on Dean's school records also so it doesn't seem suspicious that Dean would live with Henry and George. I really don't know.

For the most part, the rest of the adults in this mixed up bunch are all pretty much the same as they've ever been. I heard once it's harder for adults to change than it is for kids…and if that's the case boy are they right! Uncle Don still messes around with gadgets and gizmos when he's not acting as senior tech advisor for some business. Aunt Julie still performs at clubs every now and then, even lets Dean sit in with her from time to time…and yes…she's still very much blind. Dad I think _has_ actually changed…at least a little. Having The Terror Triplets of NYC around must have knocked some sense into him and made him mellow out a little. Either that or old age is finally startin' to catch up to the old man. Heh…don't let him find out I said that…he can and probably would kick my shell to kingdom come. Mom is a full time English teacher topside at Liz's high school and yet still finds time and energy to tutor all of us stuck down here. Uncle Mike seems to have mellowed out some too. Don't get me wrong, he still acts like a kid, but more like my age now instead of like a seven or eight year old. And Aunt Gwen is by far my favorite of the aunts. She's awesome. Me and her get along great and believe it or not, I actually enjoy helping her out in her greenhouse or with some stuff up in Green T Floral.

Yeah, I know I said we weren't allowed topside…that's only partly true. The younger kids…younger than me, Liz, and the older twins…they're the ones not allowed topside. And actually, me and the older twins are only allowed topside to patrol with our dads or to help Aunt Gwen in the shop…and we have to stay hidden in the back green room if we want to do that. Needless to say, Tabby and Chip usually opt out of doing that so…oh well, their loss. But even though I'm allowed up there, I'm not allowed to really go outside or anything unless it's to help Aunt Su and Aunt Jules deliver some flowers someplace.

Really, I guess I don't mind my life that much. It could be worse, right? Yeah I know…it could be better too. But hey, at least dad and the others allow us older kids time to get to be outside and get fresh air and to get to know the city. Granted, yes, it's pitch black when we go out and we have to stick to the rooftops, but at least in those few hours of training and 'patrolling' we get to know freedom. Of course, I know the real reason Uncle Leo still makes dad and the other two go out with him at night…even us older kids sometimes. He still feels guilty that he wasn't able to get Uncle Mike to the place Aunt Gwen was being held in time and those douche-crickets Higgins and Markus nearly killed her and took their first daughter Naomi. He promised Uncle Mike and Aunt Gwen that he would find her no matter how long it took him. And being a turtle of honor, he sticks to his word no matter what the cost. And you better believe it that he means he will find her…maybe not now, maybe not even two or three years from now…but he _will_ find her. Sure, he doesn't admit to that being the reason behind their sometimes-nightly-mostly-weekly training missions, but I know that's what it is.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles, or Yoda, or Yuppet, or Star Wars, or Thumb Wars. I only own the kids and wives.**

**Author's Note: If you've never seen a movie called "Thumb Wars"...boy do I feel bad for you! No, just kidding. It's an awesome parody of Star Wars and also Cassidy's favorite movie...so throughout the story I may mention that. I'll try to keep it to a minimum though so I don't confuse people. There was something else I was going to tell you all...but I can't remember what it was...OH! WAIT! Yes I do! It sometimes takes me _months_ in order to read through my stories and finally catch stupid mistakes so if you see words missing letters, or I accidentally call a "he" a "she" or visa-versa, or anything like that, please by all means tell me so I can go in and correct it right away. I finally sat down this past week and read through "My Prince Charming" and "How to Save A Life" and was horrified at all the mistakes I let slip through. So if you see something, let me know, ok? **

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Chapter Two: Training Day

Back to the wall, Cassidy "Casey" Miller scanned the area quickly for any possible escape route. They were moving in all around him, quickly forcing him into a corner. Every instinct he had was running on high gear as a bead of sweat rolled down his brow. He could hear the wooshing of nunchakus coming dangerously close to his head as he tried to fend off the two pairs of razor sharp katanas aimed for his stomach while a single pair of sais jabbed towards his chest. His heart racing, he gulped hard as he shoved his bo-staff up and around to deflect what could have been a devastating blow to his head. Leveling his bo, he shoved forward with all his might before launching himself into the air, flipping over the heads of his captors.

"Ya know…I'm really not…liking these…odds right now." He panted, quickly lowering himself to the ground as a foot came flying towards his face. "How is it…_I'm_ the one…who got ganged up on!?...Is this all…because I'm khaki?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Case…all of us, except Liz, are green. This isn't a hate crime." Tabitha answered as she whirled her nunchakus around and brought them down on his shell. "You're out."

"Thank you." Casey sighed as he ducked to the floor and rolled out of the way of the remaining four teens locked in mock battle with each other. "I was about to lay down and play opossum anyways."

Moving to the side wall, Casey leaned against his bo-staff and watched as Chip and Chris paired up with their twin katanas to try and take out their next opponent who, from the looks of things, seemed to be the very same girl to take him out of their training game. It was a game their father's had taught them when they were younger that they took the liberty of improving upon. The object of the game was to be the last man standing. The teens would gang up on each other and battle one or two of the others, if they were hit with or laid out by another's weapon they were out of the game.

Casey cringed as he heard Tabitha get thrown to the floor and tapped with the blunt end of one of Chip's blades. Rolling to her right, she sprang to her feet and smiled brightly as she ran to sit down next to Casey's feet. The older boy chuckled and shook his head as he looked down at her, his hands resting on one end of his bo to keep it standing upright.

"Good game, Tabby."

"Thanks, you too. It took you long enough to go down though."

"Hey…I'm not a bo-staff master for nothin', ya know." He answered, smirking, before looking back out on the floor where the three remaining players were squaring off against each other. "Who do you think will win this time?"

Tabitha scrunched her face up slightly as she tilted her head to the side in thought.

"Hmm…well, Chip took me out, so it's possible he might. Chris is just getting' cocky with his katanas so I have the feeling he's next to go. So it'd be down to Chip and Liz…those two hate each other so it's anyone's guess. My money's on my girl Liz though. She's riled up enough that she could easily take each of them out with one swipe of her sais." She answered smiling up at him.

Casey closed his eyes and shook his head again. He still didn't understand how the embodiment of sunshine was friends with, what he considered to be, the spawn of Satan. He couldn't help but think about the Greek gods Hades and Persephone. Hades was all doom and gloom and relished in dark, death, and destruction while his wife Persephone was sweet, gentle and beautiful. Polar opposites of each other and yet she was able to see something in that god of inferno that made her befriend him and fall in love with him. He supposed maybe there was some good and kindness hidden under all that gothic exterior that Liz didn't let show except to Tabby. But then again, Tabby had a way of being friends with everyone she came in contact with…whether they initially wanted her to be or not.

"This isn't fair! I can't see a thing!"

Both Casey and Tabitha looked away from the battle before them and glanced to their left where the younger kids were all in training. The four adult turtles stood around the small circle of children that had gathered around one small boy in the middle. Tabitha giggled and smiled as she realized the small boy was George, Henry's twin brother and Leo's youngest son. Blindfolded and with his training bo in his hands, he whipped his head from side to side frantically.

"A true ninja warrior doesn't use sight alone. Sight is sometimes deceiving." Leo stated, his arms crossed over his plastron. Though he was talking to Dale and the other younger children, Casey knew he meant that for him also. Catching the mild glare from his uncle, Casey coughed lightly and rested his chin on his hands atop his bo-staff.

Turning his attention back to the six children in front of him, Leo lowered his arms and took a step back to stand next to his brothers.

"Now then, reach out with the rest of your senses. Hear the attack before it happens."

"Reach out with your feelings, Luke. Yeeeeeeeeas. A-whoo-who-who-who-who." Casey said softly, doing the best imitation of 'Yoda' from the _Star Wars_ movies he could. "Is it just me…or is Uncle Leo becoming more and more like Yoda every year? Or maybe even Yuppet from _Thumb Wars_, ya know? 'I…am…a…puppet. Arm connects to hand…hand manipulates mouth. From beneath the floor…the man does control me…_yeeeeeaaas…_'"

Tabitha pressed her lips together and pulled her knees up to her chest in hopes of hiding her laughter.

"I mean, really, think about it. Uncle Leo and Yoda have a _lot_ in common. They're both wise…they both talk weird. Yoda lived in a swamp…Uncle Leo obviously lives in a sewer…both dark and wet places. They're both green…and they're both old. All Uncle Leo needs are big pointy ears, a hunch, and a little cane and he's Yoda." Casey paused as his eyes widened slightly. "Wait…he's got a shell so he kind of does have a hunch back, and he's got Grandpa Splinter's cane in his room…I could get April to buy me Spock ears and I could give them to him for Christmas. My God, Tabby! Uncle Leo's Yoda!"

At that realization, Tabitha could not control herself anymore and let out a howling laugh as she rolled to the floor and continued to laugh, tears rolling down her cheeks. Seeing her reaction to his joke, Casey couldn't help but start to chuckle himself. Soon, the two cousins were literally rolling on the dojo floor, laughing hysterically, totally unaware of the attention they were drawing from the rest of their family members.

"What seems to be so funny, you two?" Leo questioned from his place near the younger children who were all starting to snort just from watching their older cousins laughing. Still laughing and struggling to catch her breath, Tabitha forced herself to sit up and bite back her giggles.

"N-nothing…Un-Uncle Y-Yoda…I MEAN LEO! UNCLE LEO!" She exclaimed causing Casey to burst into an even wilder fit of laughter before she herself fell back on the floor, clutching her aching sides as she too fell back into a massive guffaw.

Hearing Tabitha call their Uncle Leo 'Yoda' was all it took for the six younger children to fall to the floor in laughter also. Spinning his head around in surprise, Leo raised an eye ridge as he saw the kids wiggling and giggling like little hyenas on the floor, their nunchakus, sais and shurikens, and bo-staffs discarded haphazardly around them. Even little Mitsu was over come with the fit, though she wasn't sure why she was laughing to begin with.

Glancing at his younger brothers, who were each trying not to laugh also, Leonardo sighed heavily as his shoulders sagged slightly.

"Ya know, Leon…T-Tabby-Cat's gotta point. You _are_ an awful lot like the great Jedi Master. Just…not as wrinkly yet. " Michelangelo said, choking on his own chuckles. Raphael and Donatello both let out snorts of laughter that they covered with fake coughs as they looked away, knowing if they looked at Leo they too would fall victim to the laughing epidemic that had struck their humble dojo.

"Fine…go ahead and keep laughing. It's only adding more time to today's training."

"Aw c'mon, Leo, cut 'em some slack huh? 'Member how punchy we all used ta get when we 'ad ta train all day?" Raph asked, the urge to join in on the laughter now out of his system.

"Of course I remember; I'm not nearly as old as some may think." He answered, giving a pointed glare at the still laughing teenage boy across the room. Turning his attention back to Raph, Leo shook his head once more. "No, they have way too much energy and training is a good way for them to burn some of it off."

"But Leo, they're kids…of course they've got too much energy, they're supposed to. Besides, the harder you make them train in hopes of burning off that energy, the more likely they are to start hating ninjitsu."

"Donnie's right, Leo. I mean…we at least got to go topside for training runs totally unsupervised when we were their age. Maybe it's time to let 'em go out and play…and I _don't mean_ play as in train." Mike said, shrugging slightly. At the mention of possibly being able to venture out into the topside world to explore freely, all five older kids stopped their oppressing fits of laughter and turned to face their oldest uncle with expectant eyes.

Leo knew his brother's were right, as much as he hated to admit it, and that his nieces and nephews so longed to explore the streets they'd heard so much about over the years. In his heart he knew he wouldn't be able to keep them protected from the dangers of the outside world forever and that perhaps scared him more than anything else. Leonardo wished things were different for their families and that _all_ the children—along with himself and his brothers—were able to walk freely through the streets of the city he loved so much. However, a nagging voice in the back of his mind was always reminding him of what happened to Gwen seventeen years prior because someone had found out about them and was sick enough to conduct experiments on her and her unborn daughter.

Folding his war worn muscled arms over his scarred plastron, Leo tilted his head in deep thought as he looked at his extended family. The older children, the teenagers who had graduated from trainees to young masters of their own weapons, stood silent and still as if frozen in time by some unseen force. Each child, upon graduation, had received their own colored headband—with the exception of Casey who had earned his years before for his gallant display of courage in helping to capture the mobsters out to kill Ying-Su and her children.

Casey, who was soon to turn seventeen, had used his athleticism to help him train and master the bo-staff at the age of fourteen. He'd been so happy to hear his Uncle Leo and Don tell him there was nothing more _they_ could teach him; it was time for him to hone his skills on his own and teach himself new techniques and abilities.

Elizabeth, who also was soon to turn seventeen in three short months, was nowhere near as athletic as Casey, but instead had learned from her step-uncle Raphael how to channel her pent up anger and long-lived grief for the loss of her father into her training and soon discovered a natural ability for manipulating the sais. When she graduated just four months after Casey, she was presented with a stark white bandana which her mother later explained was a color frequently used in the Japanese culture to symbolize grief.

Tabitha had been next to graduate, earning herself a mask that fittingly matched her personality, a soft pink clothe she had excitedly tied around her forehead. Leo remembered the look of pride his youngest brother Mike had displayed the day Tabby had mastered the nunchakus just as he had. That was the year prior, on her and Chip's fourteenth birthday.

The final two to receive their bandanas and to graduate were Chip and Chris. Both had struggled with their training; constantly frustrated that they had to train against the younger kids when they really wanted to go up against each other or their parents. Both were finally able to prove their skills with the double katanas were honed enough to move on only five months before. Chris was presented with a dark grey colored bandana to wear about his head while his best friend and sparring partner received a near rust colored one.

The younger children he turned his thoughtful gaze to next were still the ones in need of training and guidance. Ranging in age from thirteen to five, none of the six had received their own bandanas. Dale—who had turned eleven only the week before—was chugging right along with his nunchaku lessons, aiming to follow in his father and sisters footsteps. Delaney was thirteen and on the brink of graduating and receiving her own color for her work with the nunchakus also. Henry—who the other children had dubbed The Boy of Gold—had the ambition and ability to become the youngest of the kids to graduate. His natural ability to quickly pick up on just about anything had also set him on the brink of mastering not only the sais but also the small but very deadly shurikens. While his eleven-year-old twin George was still struggling with his bo-staff; trying his hardest to please and impress the only father he'd ever gotten to know just as Henry was doing. His cousin Dean was, like Dale and Tabitha, following in his father's footsteps, learning the different maneuvers and tricks with his much smaller training bo-staff—just the right size for his small nine-year-old hands and fingers. The last of the young ones, the tiny five-year-old, was just starting her training. Feeling his daughter was too little yet to pair her with a weapon, Leo decided instead to begin Mitsu off with basic hand-to-hand combat which she was more than happy to learn and absorb like a sponge to water.

Sighing more to himself than anything, Leo looked back at his brothers before turning his attention back to the five older children at the other end of the dojo. Silently motioning them over, he lowered his arms, absently tucking his thumbs into the front of his worn-out and battered leather belt. As the teens approached, their weapons safely tucked away in their own belts, he looked each of them in the eyes before opening his mouth to speak.

"I want you all to tell me, together, as a team, what the three things are that your fathers and I have taught you." He stated firmly, his full attention trained only on those five teens. Casey and Tabitha squared their shoulders while the remaining three gave inaudible sighs and slight rolls of the eyes.

"One: Live by the code of the martial arts. Two: Never fight unless someone else starts. Three: Always stick together no matter what." They chanted together, having had those rules engraved in their memories since the very beginning.

Casey smirked a little as he lifted his hand, pointer finger raised as if to state something more. "And when all else fails, _then _it's time to kick butt."

Raph shot his oldest son a glare, though Raphael knew he had it coming since he'd been the one to add that extra piece in to begin with.

"This ain't da time ta be smart-mouthin', Cas." He chided. Casey's smile instantly fell as he lowered his hand and gaze.

"You're father's right, Casey. The streets up there are part of a tough and no-nonsense world full of people who would love to expose us and where we live for a chance at fame and fortune. If we were to allow you to venture the streets alone would you give me your word—not only as ninjas —but also as our children that you would adhere to those rules we set and try not to bring attention to yourselves?" Asked Leo.

"Will we be able to bring our weapons topside too?" Tabitha questioned timidly.

"No. A true ninja is a master of himself and the environment surrounding him." Don answered as he shook his head.

"But we get to take them when we go patrolling with you guys!" Chris objected, his face twisted in confusion and disgust. Leo turned a calm glare to his nephew and raised an eye ridge.

"Would you rather care to stay down here, then? Besides, that's different; that's at night when the danger is greater and we're more susceptible to being attacked or ambushed."

"Oh, and like we aren't in the daylight?" Chip piped in, just as confused and agitated as his younger cousin.

Michelangelo folded his arms and stared at his son. "Keep arguing with your Uncle Leo and you aren't goin' up at all, dude. Not now, not later, not even to patrol with us. Got it, buster?"

"Yeah…fine…whatever." He mumbled in reply as he glared coldly down at the concrete floor.

"Now do we have your word or not?"

"We promise to adhere to the rules you've set for us and try not to bring attention to ourselves." They answered as one, knowing that a simple 'we promise' would not be enough to pacify their fathers. Though each child sounded less than thrilled to hear their weapons would not be allowed to go with, they didn't dare to push the subject anymore and risk losing their chance at a few hours of real honest-to-goodness freedom.

"Then you have permission to venture topside so long as you honor your promise to us and to use Liz's cell to call and check in every now and then. Also, you're to be back in this lair by eight pm. Is that clear?"

Knitting her dark eyebrows together, Elizabeth glanced at her cell phone clock and frowned. "That only gives us two hours though."

"Then I would suggest to stop complaining and beat feet topside before he changes his mind." Don answered as he stepped to the side and pointed for the door. Not wanting to risk that possibility, the five teens quickly replaced their weapons before bolting to change clothes prior to leaving the lair.

Leo watched as they each disappeared through the door, his stomach twisted and knotted in concern for their well-being. He knew he and his brothers had done their best to pass on their knowledge of ninjitsu, but also knew that if their father, Splinter, had still been alive he would have done a far more thorough job. Of course, when their Master Splinter had trained them, he was much younger and only had four charges to deal with. Leo and his brothers were all already into their forties and had a grand total of _fifteen_ students to deal with: eleven children and their four wives.

A small tug at his wrist brought Leo's gaze back down to his side where he saw the large, bright brown, almond shaped eyes of his youngest daughter. Her curly hair had been pulled back into a long braid by Tabitha the day before and the little girl loved it so much she had refused to let her mother take it out in order to brush it. Now as Leo looked down at her, he saw the wild loose curls that had managed to escape from the hold of the blue and purple rubber bands and were sticking up and out like little frilly springs.

"Daddy? I wanna 'eat feet an' go topslide too." She said innocently. Leo chuckled lightly as he attempted to smooth out her frizzy hair.

"When you get older you can, sweetheart." He answered his voice soft and gentle with her. Offering her a small smile, he looked back at the other eager faces of his young pupils.

"Right now though, you all need to learn how to properly defend yourselves and how to control your feelings and weapons. Training is the most important part of life for a ninja. It also applies for other areas of your lives: for a skateboarder, a musician, a writer, a computer programmer, even for the youngest of children. Without it, nothing would be accomplished. The training we are giving to you is the same we received as kids; it has come in handy a great number of times. Our knowledge and mastery of ninjitsu has not only saved our lives more times than we can count, it has also saved your lives and the lives of countless others above ground." Leo stated in that calm and assertive voice he used when trying to get his point across to them.

"Leo's right. If not for our training none of us would be here. Raph would have been eaten by a sewer croc; I would have drowned in the drainage junction; who knows what could have happened to Mike or Leo." Don stated as he shrugged slightly.

"Yeah. Plus, all that training helped to enhance our hearing and being able to sense things before they happen sometimes. You wouldn't believe how many times my training saved my tail when I was younger and would wander the dark and scary tunnels alone. And how many times I'd been found by one of these guys after gettin' lost." Mike added.

Raphael rolled his eyes and lightly tapped his youngest brother upside the head. "Don't go thinkin' we went cuz we wanted ta, Mike. We went cuz Splinta made us." He said, half-way joking. "Dere all right d'oh. Some day, when ya's get olda, yer trainin' could save yer lives too. Or who knows? Might even save ours."

Their children—with the exception of Dean and George—all looked up at them in awe and wonderment. Could they be serious? Would those same six trainees one day save their fathers lives?

Don watched intently as he saw the look of confidence and honor appeared in the eyes of four-out-of-the-six while Dean and George exchanged slightly panicked and nauseated looks. Out of the eleven children, Dean and George were the only two who were the least confident in their abilities as far as their ninja training went; they'd rather spend their time playing music or writing one thing or another in a notebook. Neither felt they had the same natural athleticism as the rest of their family and were not cut out for being violent or protective.

After a moment or two of silence, Raph sighed and looked back towards the weapons area before turning back to the kids, George still with the blindfold hanging down around his neck.

"A'ight…we're done fer da day. Git outta 'ere."

Putting their weapons away carefully, the kids scurried from the dojo, each off to do their own things.

"Think the others are behaving themselves?" Don asked as he looked between his brothers, an eye ridge arched slightly.

"Pfft! Yeah right." Raph grumbled as he turned to start for the living room.

"Not a chance." Answered Mike as he turned to follow his second oldest brother.

"Yeah…those had pretty much been my thoughts on it too."

"They had better be, or they'll be in big trouble." Leo stated, safely tucking his katanas into their sheaths as he moved to follow his three brothers out into the main living area to wait for their kids to call and check in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: If anyone is interested, I have to send a major thankful shout-out to Lovely-Shadow for her AWESOME drawing she did of our favorite four leading ladies!! If anyone would like to check it out, I have it posted on my website in the "Character Profiles" page...and then next to each girl's profile I have their individual pictures so you can put a face to the names. Head over to my profile for the link to my site! (PS: If you'd like to check out more of Lovely-Shadow's work, just click on the large group picture of the girls and it will take you to her Deviant Art page).**

Chapter Three: "Everyone's Lost but Me!"

The small gang of teenagers walked carefully through the crowed streets of the Lower West Side of Manhattan, four of the five making sure to keep their hands and faces as hidden from view as possible. They had to be a rather motley looking bunch walking down the sidewalk.

At the front of the group was a girl dressed all in black, as if she were going to a funeral, with her large black leather trench coat spraying out behind her like a cape as she moved her biker boot clad feet along. Behind her was another girl dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a slightly oversized pink hoodie sweatshirt with the Tootsie Pop logo on the front and a bitten into Tootsie Pop on the back. Her hoodie was pulled up over her head and her hands shoved into the front pouch pocket. To her left was a boy in baggy blue jeans, black and white Converses, and a large camouflage Army jacket. His blonde shaggy hair hung down out from under his dark blue New York Yankees baseball cap while the collar of his jacket had been popped up to help hide his khaki colored skin. Behind him was another boy wearing even baggier black jeans, beat up looking hiking boots, a baggy black Misfits hoodie and a dark green stocking cap. A pair of sunglasses covered his eyes and as much of the green of his face as they could. To his left was the final boy dressed in similar attire except with a red and black Ramones hoodie pulled up over his head and a pair of beat up old sneakers on.

No one seemed to really pay much attention to the group as they walked past store fronts and street peddlers. To the rest of the world, they were nothing more than a bunch of teenage street punks. The leader of their small gang, Elizabeth, glanced over her shoulder once more as she started down another street.

"Stop. Following. Me." She grumbled.

"You have the cell phone, we have to follow you." Casey answered as he shrugged and looked around the bustling streets, ducking out of the way of a mother trying to get her toddler back under control. Liz groaned and stopped walking. Digging into her pocket, she pulled four shinny quarters from her pocket and turned back to the other four.

"Here. Have some quarters and go find a payphone to call home. I'm not gonna have _you four_ following me around for the next hour and a half."

"But Lizzie, we don't have any watches. How are we gonna know when the hour and a half is up and we have to be back home?" Tabitha questioned as she moved closer to Casey in order to let a cyclist go past.

"Well…there's sixty seconds in a minute…sixty minutes in an hour…and there's thirty minutes in a half hour…so I suggest counting to sixty one-hundred-and-fifty times. I'm out of here." Liz answered as she turned on her heels and started to walk off. Casey reached out with lightening speed and caught her by the arm.

"No, you're not. Uncle Leo made us swear not to draw attention to ourselves and to adhere to the rules they set out for us. And one of those rules is 'stick together no matter what'. Now you're staying with us and we're all staying together." He answered, staring at his cousin for a minute before glancing around and tucking his hand back into his Army jacket. Liz glared back at him before she growled low in her throat and shook her head at him.

"We're already drawing attention to ourselves with you four following me around like lost puppies. Now either _you guys_ get lost, or I'm leaving with out you. Either works for me."

Tabitha sighed heavily as her shoulders slumped and she tried to ignore the dueling cousins before her. So much for their first unsupervised trip topside. Tapping her toes to a beat only she could hear, Tabby watched as men, women, and fellow teenagers rushed by—some more innocent looking than others. Pushing the sounds of Casey and Liz arguing back and forth with each other, Tabitha's senses instead picked up on a commotion happening across the street. Knitting her eyebrows together, she squinted and tried to see in between the throng of people. Once there was a small break between people, she saw what all the commotion was about.

"No…please! Don't do this! Help! Someone! Please help me!!" a woman screamed as a man dressed in dark clothes backed her up against the dirty brick walls, a gun concealed in his pocket.

"Shut up and gimme your money! Give it! C'mon or I'll fuckin' shoot ya!"

Eyes going wide, Tabitha glanced back at her brother and cousins and then back across the street. Someone had to do something to help that poor woman or she'd be shot for sure.

"Guys! Guys we got trouble! We gotta go help her!" Tabby called over her shoulder as she bolted across the busy street, dodging people and cars as she went.

Turning his attention away from Liz for a moment, Casey watched the pink and blue blur go running off across the street. Turning to start for the curb, Casey's eyes were wide as he watched his younger cousin run off.

"Tabby! Wait! We're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves!" He called, though it was lost amidst the sea of bodies and metal.

Seeing the chance she needed to slip away, Liz turned silently and took off down a side alley, ducking in through the back door of a store. Looking at each other and shrugging, Chip and Chris also both turned and started off for an adventure of their own, disappearing seamlessly into the crowd.

Having watched Tabby take off after the mugger down the alley he'd been in, Casey knew he had to go try to help her just in case things got to be more than she could handle. Spinning back to where he thought he'd left his three younger charges, his jaw dropped when he found that he was now standing completely alone in front of the jeweler's store.

"Everyone's lost but me!"

Not sure which way to turn—or who to try and follow—Casey groaned and turned to run off in the direction Tabitha went. If all five of them were not back in the lair by eight o'clock sharp, he didn't dare want to think about what would happen to them.

* * *

Tabitha puffed and panted as she chased the mugger down a dizzying maze of allies and backstreets. She'd never run so much in her life and she was sure if it continued much more her lungs were going to explode. It was bad enough they burned as if on fire and her throat felt like she was swallowing acid. Legs were beginning to tremble and she wondered if the man she was chasing was even human. Surely no one should be able to run that much and still be able to out run a trained ninja. Of course, then again, running had never been one of Tabitha's favorite things. She would do it in order to keep up with the others when she'd go out on patrol, but if she didn't have to run, she wouldn't.

Sweat pouring down her face, she silently wished she was able to roll the sleeves of her sweatshirt up and drop her hood so she could attempt to cool off a little. That was too risky a move to do though, she finally decided as she bounced onto the corners of her shoes in order to make the sharp turn to her right that her prey had taken. She watched as the distance between them closed in. _Good, he's running out of steam._ She thought to herself as she smirked. The mugger bolted out of the shadows of the alley and out into the fading sunlight of the street just seconds before Tabby.

Just as she was exiting the alley, Tabitha's eyes went wide when she barely saw the form of a teenage boy step in front of her, his nose buried deep in a book. She tried to call out to him to move, but the words left her mouth a millisecond too late and the two teens collided hard. Literally rolling end over end for a few feet or so, the two finally came to a stop, both groaning out in mild pain and confusion. Sitting up and rubbing her head, Tabitha closed her eyes in hopes of making the world stop spinning.

"Oh man! Holy smokes! I'm so sorry! I should have been watching where I was walking. I'm so sorry. Are you ok?" A sweet but awkward sounding teenage boy's voice asked from her side.

"Yeah…I'm fine." She mumbled in answer, though in reality she felt as if she were going to be sick all over the sidewalk.

"I'm so sorry, miss. My mom always told me not to read and walk at the same time, now I see why. Are you sure you're ok? You look a little…green."

"I'm sure…I think I just ran a four minute three mile race though. And actually…it's my fault. I was the one…running…I ran into you." Tabitha stammered her heart beating so hard she was almost certain the boy next to her could hear it. Finally taking a deep breath and opening her eyes, Tabby blinked a few times as she looked into a pair of eyes so blue they gave her dad's a run for their money. The boy in front of her gave a heartbreaking sweet smile as he stood and offered his hand out to help her up.

"I'm really sorry though. I guess I was a little too caught up in 'Ghosts of New York'. Tends to happen from time to time. I'm Andy, by the way." He said, still smiling brightly down at her. Biting her lip, she glanced at his extended hand before shrugging it off and pushing herself up off the ground, quickly tucking her hands back into the safety of her pockets.

"I'm Tabitha, but everyone calls me Tabby."

Smiling brighter, Andy bent down to pick up his now dirty library book and carefully stuffed it into his coat pocket. His light brown hair was parted somewhat to the left side and lightly gelled into place giving him an almost childlike appearance. And the thin framed glasses that sat atop his lightly freckled face only added to his innocent looks. Stepping back up onto the sidewalk, he once again smiled at Tabitha as she moved out of the way of a suited businessman.

"It's a pleasure having you run into me, Tabby."

Tabitha smiled brightly back at him as she, for once in her life, felt the unfamiliar clench of shy and nervousness set into her system. She had never had this much contact with a human outside of her family before. Suddenly unsure of herself and her surrounding, she looked from side to side before looking back at Andy.

"Um, you wouldn't by any chance happen to know what time it is, would you? I uh…I lost my cell phone when I was running…I guess. But I have to be home by eight and I have no clue what time it is."

"Oh, sure. It's about a quarter pass seven. Which way are you heading? Maybe I could um…walk with you for awhile?"

Glancing up and around for a street sign, Tabitha shrugged in thought. She wasn't entirely sure where she was to begin with and she knew if she told him no, she'd just jump down the nearest manhole and take it from there, that he'd probably go screaming. Finally spotting a sign that read "1025 W. 11th Ave" she smiled and pointed to the east.

"That way. My mom owns a floral shop just down the street. I'll walk there and catch a ride home with her." She answered, the normal bright and bubbly tone to her voice returning at the thought of getting to see her mom at work. Andy smiled and turned towards the direction he was heading before he'd been taken down.

"You mean Green T Floral is your mom's? Coolness! And how convenient is that? That's the way I'm heading." Together the pair walked the four or five blocks to the small floral shop on the corner, talking and getting to know each other.

Gwen Masterson had opened Green T Floral way back when Tabitha and Chip had been fairly little, no more than five or six. It started off as a strictly online business in which her customers sent in email orders and she would have them FedEx'd or specially delivered so that she wouldn't have to leave the safety of her underground home. Before too long though, it started to become more than she could handle solely from the internet and was forced to take it topside.

Luckily, she had learned from Leonardo about a business that had gone under not far from their lair that they had been using for years in order to hide Raphael's Shell Cycle and other inventions of Donatello's. It was the same building that Leo had snuck Ying-Su and her children into all those years before in order to get them safely down into the sewers.

Going up to take a look at it, Gwen agreed that it was in a prime location for business and since its back elevator connected directly with their sewer tunnel, she would be crazy not to buy it and turn it into her own floral shop. Packed with all sorts of specialty plants, ferns, and bonsai trees, it was her pride and joy—the one thing she had to call her very own. Two large picture windows sat on either side of the dark green painted wood-framed glass door. The exterior of the shop had been painted a dark shade of green to go with the play-on-words name she had given her business. No one outside her family knew the true meaning of the name "Green T Floral", her customers simply thought it clever that a mostly Asian specialty floral shop be named after an Asian drink. The sign that hung above the door was another sly tribute to her family having had it designed to look as if it were the empty carapace of a turtle with the name of the store painted on in bright orange.

Since the time the store finally opened topside, Gwen had been blessed to have the support of her entire family in helping her run it. Until Casey had been old enough to drive, Ying-Su and Angela had done all the deliveries for Gwen while Julie been in charge of making sure all the plants were watered and pruned. Once all the kids got old enough to help out however, they each had to spend at least three hours a week helping out in the shop doing odd jobs here and there while Casey acted as delivery driver.

The little shop was no where near as busy as Tabitha thought it would be given how nice the weather was that day. Opening the door, she smiled as she heard the clanging of the door chimes she had made out of tin cans and bolts when she was little as a shop-warming-gift for her mother. With a little secret help from Donatello, Gwen was able to set them up just right that they were able to be heard whenever the door was opened and closed. Hearing music coming from the back room, Tabby giggled light and waved for Andy to follow her to the counter where balloons of all shapes and colors were tossed about aimlessly.

"Mama!? You back there?!" She called loud enough to be heard over the music. Seconds later the music was silenced and a pleasant looking lady with brown hair pulled into a ponytail stepped out into the open, followed by another woman with red hair and sunglasses.

"Tabby-cat, what are you doing here?" Gwen asked, slightly surprised and worried by seeing her only daughter in the front part of the store with an outsider.

"Daddy actually convinced Uncle Leon to let us out to play for a couple of hours."

"Us?" Julie questioned, placing her hands on the counter and turning her head in the direction of Tabitha's voice.

"Yeah…me, Chris, Chip, Liz, and Casey." She answered, shrugging as if it were nothing big as she moved slyly for the helium tank. Putting her hand on the nozzle, she looked up at her mother and smiled sweetly.

"And where are Chris, Chip, Liz, and Casey, Tab?"

"Oh…uh…well…I kinda got separated from them. This is my new friend Andy, by the way. Andy, this is my mom Gwen and my Aunt Julie." Tabitha said, quickly changing the subject before she was forced to explain herself anymore than she had to.

Andy flashed his famous bright smile as he held his hand out to Gwen.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am. And you too, ma'am." He said politely as he shook both women's hands. Tabby pressed her lips together to keep from smiling before she took a quick shot from the helium tank.

"Yeah, Andy and I ran each other over just four blocks from here." She said, her voice pitched high enough to make her sound like one of the Chipmunks. Frowning, Gwen turned to face her daughter, an eyebrow raised.

"Tabitha Lynn, don't do that, it's not healthy for you."

"Sorry, mama."

Andy chuckled lightly as he smiled at his new friend and looked back at her mother and aunt.

"Well, I really should be getting home. My mom was expecting me home an hour ago. It was a pleasure meeting you both. I'll see you later, Tabby." He called before waving to the two adult women and heading for the door. Tabitha smiled as she turned to wave goodbye to him also, sneaking another shot of helium while she was at it.

"See ya, Andy! Don't get run over again!" She squeaked out happily, waving like a dork as he walked out the door. Turning back to her frowning mother and chuckling aunt, she smiled more and moved around the counter headed for the back room.

"Bye mama. Love ya. Love you too, Aunt Jules. See ya's when ya get home." Tabitha called before ducking around the corner leading to the back room where the elevator was located while doing her best imitation of 'Woody Woodpecker' as her helium started to wear off.

Gwen sighed heavily as Julie began laughing over the improper use of helium she, and her niece and nephew, had begun doing. She knew Gwen wasn't always thrilled to have them inhaling the helium, but she also knew that on days when Gwen was stressed and needed a laugh that her sister-in-law found it insanely funny—even if she didn't always laugh.

Stepping over to the large tank, Gwen picked up the hose to put it back where it belonged before turning the tank off for the night. The last thing she wanted was for Casey to come in next and start reciting lines from 'The Breakfast Club' or 'Thumb Wars' in a chipmunk tone of voice. Hearing the door chimes once again, Gwen turned to see her son and nephew come strolling in, each with their hands tucked deep in their pockets and both with a look of fake innocence on their faces.

"Hey ma." Chip said as he strolled by her. "Hey Aunt Jules."

"Hey." Was all Chris muttered as the pair moved for the back room just seconds before two police cars went racing past, sirens and lights blaring. The pair waited for the elevator to return to the surface before stepping in and riding it back down into the dark and dingy sewers where they quickly met back up with Tabitha who had already started her trek back to the lair alone.

As Gwen listened to the gears grinding in the elevator in the back, the chimes above the door sounded once more and a figure dressed all in black entered as silently as a shadow. Practically floating across the floor as she approached the two women, her black hair hanging loose around her face, Liz lifted a hand in silent greeting before following the well beaten trail to the elevator.

"Since when did we become Grand Central Station?" Julie questioned, her head tilted to the side as she listened to Liz enter the elevator and send it back below ground once more. Gwen sighed and shrugged as she moved to the front door to flip the sign from Open to Closed.

"I really have no clue. But so far I've seen more of our kids in this store than I ever have before." She joked as she began closing things up for the night. Lowering the curtains on the two large picture windows, Gwen turned to start back for the counter when the door flew open and yet another teenage boy skidded to a halt in the middle of the store.

"Aunt Gwen! I can't find Liz or Chip or Chris or Tabby! Have you seen—"

"They went that way." Both Gwen and Julie said as they pointed for the back room. Casey heaved a heavy sigh of relief as the panic left his eyes and his shoulders slumped some. Giving a shy smile, he shrugged as he closed the door and started for the back room.

"Ok…case solved…everyone can rest easy now. Oh son-of-a-snapper!" He exclaimed as the clock above the back counter ticked over to seven-fifty-three.

Bolting out of the back door, Casey shoved the nearest manhole cover aside and dove down into the darkness. Landing gracefully on his feet, he took off once again; praying to whatever powers above there might be that he would make it back to the lair in time with the rest of them. Turning one last corner, he smiled as he saw his four family members start through the door to the lair. Taking a flying leap through the air, Casey dove through the door just as it was closing and rolled down the railing like his Uncle Mike had taught him to just as the clock in the kitchen beeped over to eight pm.

Looking up from his game of dominos with Mitsu, Leo looked at the five teens before glancing back at the clock. Giving a small, silent nod, he turned his attention back to the line of black and white blocks before him that his daughter was just itching to knock down and set off the chain reaction she loved so very much.

"You made it back into the lair by eight o'clock exactly. I'm proud of you all. You also called to check in, you kept your word. You have earned my trust." He said as he carefully set about putting the tiny blocks up a small bridge.

The four turtle teens all looked at each other in confusion before looking at Liz who had turned to head off for her own room for the night. The Ice Queen had actually lied to her own step-father to keep them all from getting into trouble? Was that even possible? Shrugging lightly to themselves, the each quietly turned to leave.

"One last thing, though. Chip and Chris? Next time you boys decide you want to try and start a fight at an arcade…" Leo turned to flip the news on that showed two figures dressed exactly like them go running from an arcade before turning to an image of the police talking about the perpetrators, "…don't."

Casey and Tabitha smirked as the two other boys shrank into themselves slightly.

"You are _busted_!!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't have any legal rights towards the songs or production of "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out of Their Shells"...all I have of that legally is the soundtrack I bought, the video tape I bought, and the program from the tour I bought. That's it...although I do wish I owned the rights to "Follow Your Heart" I LOVE that song!! Who else thinks it sucks that wasn't including in the soundtrack? :Raises hand and hears crickets chirp. Coughs and lowers hand: Oook then...right...forgot I was about the only one to still appreciate that. Ok then...moving right along. I only hold claim to my own personal characters. That is all.**

**Author's Note: Well, here's chapter four...hopefully I'm not just writing and posting this story for the kicks and giggles of it all and more than just three people are enjoying it. I hope so. Also, please don't hate me too badly for incorporating "Coming Out of Their Shells"...I personally love that to death and think it's great...and since my stories have a mixture of everything from the 80's cartoon all the way thru to the 2007 movie...I figured I needed to include that yet. Well...enjoy it...and please don't forget to review. Reviews help me think and post faster.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Darkness Rising

Inside the dark and dreary abandoned warehouse on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a figured dressed all in black stood poised and ready for the next wave of attacks. The windows covered by years of dust and neglect made sure no light from the outside would interrupt the silent battle going on within. No one knew what was going on inside the once prominent shipping building; the passerby's simply walked passed, each minding their own business and not giving a second thought to their surroundings. To the citizens of the Lower East Side, that building was just another one of the many forgotten landmarks that the city had yet to get around to tearing down to make room for new high tech businesses.

To the people within that building however, it proved to be the perfect location for their secret meetings and training lessons. They had been meeting in that area for nearly twenty years, recruiting and training their followers and minions; now they watched in malicious enjoyment as their youngest prodigy completed their last defense class. Their sais twirling in sickening speed in their black glove covered hands sliced through the air and connected with one, then two and three, other black clad figures. Shrill and pained screams echoed off the bare walls as their lifeless bodies fell to the floor. Still in a defensive stance, the shadow figure waited like a ghost for a moment before jumping into the air, spinning their body around and scissor kicking yet another attacker before it could reach them. Hearing their legs connect with the attacker's neck and it snapping, the shadow landed noiselessly back in the middle of the circle of bodies surrounding them and stood tall as they replaced their sais in their belt.

A slow clapping to their right caught their attention and the figure turned to see four or five dim lights being turned on and another figure stepping towards them. The figure was rather tall with broad shoulders and a swagger that marked him as highly deadly. His arms at his side, he stopped short of his young pupil and watched as their arms went to their sides and they bowed out of respect. Returning the bow, the mysterious man gave the figure before him the once over before giving a smile that didn't quite seem to reach his eyes.

"Congratulations. You've proven yourself worthy and ruthless, two traits I hold in high regard. You're time of training has come to an end. It is time to make our presence in this city known. You and your team will go out tonight." The mysterious man said coolly, his voice thick with an Asian accent.

"Thank you, Sensei. There will be no greater pleasure and honor than to spill the blood of our enemies and watch them beg for a mercy that will not come. The greatest pleasure of all will be ridding the city of those accursed turtles; the ones who turned me into the freak that I am." The shadow figure answered, her voice low and dangerous while laced thick with venomous hatred.

The dark figure chuckled low in his throat as he stepped forward and placed a large and heavy hand on her well trained shoulders. "All in good time, my child. All in good time."

* * *

"_Mom? I need pictures of dad from when he was a kid for my project. Where are they? All I can find are these ones from when he went to live with Grandma April and Grandpa Casey. But he was like…nine. Where's his baby pictures?"_

_A woman in her early thirties stepped out of the kitchen and looked in on her own nine-year-old son. Though Don was adopted, she and her husband loved him and treated him as if he were their own. Pushing her red hair from her eyes, Don's mother smiled slightly as she sat down on the living room floor amidst the sea of photographs._

"_You're dad doesn't have any from when he was a baby. A horrible storm washed them away." She answered as she smiled at a picture of her husband at a much younger age, holding a guitar and staring blankly at the camera. _

"_But…I thought dad said it was a fire?" Don questioned, his freckled face bent up in confusion._

"_That too. It was a double tragedy. The fire is what took his parents and sister and made him go live with Grandma and Grandpa. Before they could go in and get what could be saved, a flood came along and washed the rest away. At least, that's what he's told me anyways." His mother explained, a small silly smile on her face. Standing and pulling a small, faded and tattered yellowing envelope off of the bookcase, she gently pulled a small Polaroid photo out and smiled as she handed it to him. _

"_This is the only known baby picture your father has." _

_Don reached out hesitantly and took it from her. Turning it over, he looked down and saw a very pretty woman with hair a shade or two brighter red than his mothers, smiling down at a small bundle of purple blankets with only a hint of peach skin and brown fluff hair. Don didn't recognize the woman or the place but figured it must have been his "biological" grandmother in their New York City home. _

_The story his mother had told him of the flood didn't seem to mesh with his idea of his father's first home—though seeing as to how he lived in upstate New York and had never been to the big city, he supposed he could be wrong. After all, hadn't he once been told his father's family lived very close to the water?_

"_That's really the only picture left?"_

"_Yup, 'fraid so. But hey, it's getting late. Head on up to bed and I'll send your dad up to tuck you in, in a minute." She said, kissing her son's head before walking back into the kitchen. _

_Grumbling slightly, Don gathered all t he pictures he'd collected together, put the rest away and scurried up the stairs to his bedroom. Opening his door, he smiled as he was greeted by the soft warm glow of his heating lamp warming the three medium sized turtles in their little habitat on his dresser. Leaving the ceiling lamp off, Don walked over and poured more food into their little bowl._

"_Now Raph, you be nice. And Mike, save some for Leo this time, ok?" The little boy instructed before changing into his pajamas and crawling into bed. _

"_Hey Brainiac, ready for bed?" His father questioned as he poked his brownish-red haired head into the already semi-dark room. Don smiled and snuggled down into his blankets._

"_Yup, ready when you are."_

_Don's father smiled slightly at his adopted son as he made his way to the bedside and sat down. He silently wondered to himself how many more times he'd get to sing his song to Don before the boy felt he was too old or too cool to be sung to before bed. If only he had known that his own parents would be taken from him when he was nine, he wouldn't have ignored his father's mechanical mumbo-jumbo so much and wouldn't have told his mother that nine-year-olds don't get tucked in at night. Sighing, Don's father took a deep breath before softly going into the song he had learned only weeks before his family's death. _

"_Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart_

_When the lights go out  
__And your head goes down  
__You're feeling all alone  
__When it seems like everyway  
__That you turn  
__There are faces made of stone_

_It's the time to keep believing  
__In what you've always known  
__I said it's time to keep believing  
__In what you've always known_

_Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart_

_He can try anything to tear us apart  
__But there's one that that's still clear  
__That there's no way  
__That he'll get inside  
__Of our hearts  
__Just remember that  
__We're still here_

_The time has come  
__To change it all  
__To wash away  
__Your fear_

_We only have to  
__Stick together  
__The good times  
__Are so near_

_Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart_

_Sometimes you feel like  
__You've got no choice  
__Like deep inside you  
__You lost your voice  
__But in the quiet  
__You know that  
__It's been there  
__From the start_

_All along  
__You gotta follow your heart_

_Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart  
__Follow your heart"_

_Don smiled sleepily at his father before rolling over and snuggling into his blankets for the night._

"_Love you, dad."_

"_Love you, too, Donnie." His father answered forcing the lump in his throat down as he kissed his son goodnight and started to leave the room. Pausing for a moment to look down at the three turtles slowly making their way to the food bowl that had been placed in front of them, the thirty-two-year-old swiped at his eyes before turning and heading out the door. _

_Heading back down the stairs that lead into the basement turned recording studio which Don had playfully dubbed his father's 'lair', Dean Mitchell Alexander wiped his green eyes once more as he closed the door to his soundproof office. Gulping hard, Dean moved for his stereo and hit play on the CD he had made nearly twenty-four-years prior. No one knew about his darkest secret, except for his wife who had promised never to tell a single soul. Sitting back in his chair, Dean felt the tears start to roll down his cheeks._

"_We're the turtles  
__You can count on us  
__Ninja turtles  
__You can count on us  
__We're the turtles  
__You can count on us  
__Ninja turtles  
__You can count on us_

_Where ever you are  
__You know that  
__We're never far…"_

_Biting his lip as he let his favorite song pulse through him for a moment, Dean felt himself choke up at the thought of his father and uncles only being teenagers when they decided to try their hand at music instead of ninjitsu. If it hadn't been for the fact that normal society freaked out whenever they came into view, Dean felt sure that The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could have been a smash hit band. After all, Dean had produced songs and written songs for stranger named and looking bands that weren't half as good as his four reptilian relatives. _

_Sitting at his desk, Dean picked up the photo he had well hidden of his entire family—minus his grandfather Splinter—his aunts, uncles, cousins, but more importantly his father Donatello, mother Julie, and older sister Delaney. He felt the age old guilt and sadness wash over him again as he heard the song end and his father's voice instructing his brothers on which song to do next before another song started. That CD and photograph were the only things Dean had left of his family. _

"_I'm sorry guys…I'm sorry I let you all down. I should have been with you, I could have helped. I should have made you all listen and believe me. I should never have let you go fight. Now I've lost all of you. I don't even have April and Casey or Mitsu anymore…I'm sorry…" He said, looking down at the picture, though the voice he heard was not one of a thirty-two-year-old; it was the voice of his nine-year-old self calling out and begging for their forgiveness._

Dean sat straight up on his floor, cold sweat plastering his red-ish-brown bangs to his forehead. Heart racing and breathing ragged, the nine-year-old boy looked about his dark room as he heard his tape player click off, signaling the end of the tape. Earlier that evening, while digging through a back closet in the lair in search of blank tapes, Dean had stumbled upon a box marked "Donnie's old stuff". Figuring there was probably nothing in there that his father wouldn't want him to see, Dean had taken the box back into his room and began searching through it. He had sat on his floor for quite some time taking out different half made gizmo's and trinkets; examining a few drawings that apparently his Uncle Mike had drawn when they were children; also looking over a few blueprint drawings his father had done for the Shell Cycle.

Nothing seemed to interest Dean much until he reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out a manila envelope. Carefully opening it, the boy had pulled out a stack of sheet music and a cassette tape. 'Music by: Raphael. Lyrics by: Michelangelo' was at the top of each piece of paper. Looking down at the tape in his lap, his eyes had gone wide when he read what was written on it in his father's handwriting: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming out of Our Shells". Dean had instantly leapt off the floor and shoved the tape into his stereo. Age worn and crackly, it took a minute before he heard his father's voice announce their names and what instrument they'd each be playing. Dean's jaw had nearly hit the floor when he heard that his father and uncles once had played together as a make-shift 'rock band'. Listening to the tape, he sat back down with the sheet music and had begun to teach himself each song on his guitar.

As he sat on the floor next to his guitar, with the music and contents of the box still scattered around him, Dean couldn't figure out why he had such a disturbing dream. Sure he had had nightmares before, and had had dreams that foretold things yet to come—he'd been having those dreams his whole life—but this one set him on edge like nothing else in the world. Gulping hard, his bright green eyes scanned the room carefully.

"G-Gr-Grandpa Sp-Splinter? A-Are…are you there?" he called timidly, gulping once again as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of his room. Feeling the energy around him shift and sizzle slightly, he turned his head to see the all too familiar light blue apparition of his long deceased grandfather standing before him. Dressed in his typical battered brown kimono, the kind face of the brown rat smiled at the only grandchild he was still able to communicate with as he stepped forward.

"What has caused you such distress, my grandson?" Splinter questioned, his whiskers twitching as he sensed Dean's anguish. Bottom lip trembling, Dean sat with his knees pulled to his chest and his head on his knees.

"I…I had a nightmare. And…and it confused me."

"I sense it did more than just confuse you."

Dean gulped hard as he nodded and wrapped his thin arms around his knees. He had always hated the fact that he had never been able to run to his grandfather for physical comfort when he was hurt or scared like his other cousins and sibling had been able to. Even now, the only comfort he was able to receive from him was only through words.

Nine years prior, the day Dean had been born, his four year old sister Delaney had been upset over not being the light of her parent's lives anymore and had gone running from their sewer home. She hadn't wanted a little brother to begin with. The worry of her daughter taking off like she had was enough to send Julie into labor with Dean and kept Donatello from going out after the little girl. Instead, Splinter and Raphael had offered to go after her—after all, how far and fast could a chubby little four-year-old run?

The pair had managed to trail the little girl until they reached the drainage junction, far beyond the boundary they had set for the children. Looking around, they could hear her tiny sobs of terror as she cried out for her mommy and daddy to come save her, her chubby fingers clinging for dear life onto a bar nearly fifteen feet away from the nearest edge of the concrete platform. She had been so upset that she hadn't been watching where she was running and had slipped into the junction. She'd been extremely lucky to grab hold of the rusted old pipe as she went rushing by it. Without even a second thought, Splinter had dove into the water, allowing the current to whip him around until he too was able to take hold of the pipe and place the trembling little girl on his shoulders.

Raph had thrown the rope end of one of the grappling hooks he had brought with out into the water for Splinter to tie onto with and have Raph pull them both back to safety. Instead, the aging rat had quickly tied it around the young girls' waist, placed her in front of him, wrapped his arms around her and held onto the rope himself. The pair had nearly been pulled back to the platform when Splinter felt something large and heavy catch his kimono. The extra added weight of the object was enough to start dragging the two already in the water under, and enough to have Raph skidding across the concrete in an effort to keep them afloat. Knowing to save the life of his son and granddaughter he had to relieve some of the weight keeping them from safety, Splinter closed his eyes and released his hold on the rope—sending Raph hurtling backwards onto the ground and Delaney close enough to put her arms up onto dry land once more.

Quickly righting himself, Raph pulled the soaking wet and frightened Delaney up onto the platform before scanning the junction for any sign of his father. Raph and Laney watched in horror as Splinter's body emerged one last time before being sucked down into the whirlpool, never to be found again.

Dean had hated himself when he heard his grandfather's spirit retell the tale to him when he was only seven years old. He had questioned why he was able to see him but no one else was. To that day, the boy still blamed himself for the death of their beloved patriarch. He knew that each year on his birthday, his family –with the exception of Mitsu—all felt the pain of losing Splinter. This was the main reason Dean despised his birthday and insisted every year that he wanted nothing to do with it; that it was nothing more than just another day.

Taking a deep and shaky breath, he looked back up at the shimmering spirit of Splinter and wiped at his eyes again before retelling his dream. It had frightened him to his very core at the thought that sometime within that year; something was going to happen that would potentially cause him to lose his entire family.

He hated how vague his dreams could be sometimes. They never seemed to tell him where, when, or how something was going to happen; just that something would happen to this or that person that could be a good or bad thing. When he had been four, he had a dream that showed his Uncle Leo holding a baby in his arms with an awkward smile on his face while his Aunt Su was in a bed next to him, looking exhausted. When he had gone to tell his uncle the dream, he hadn't known that Ying-Su had just found out the day before that she was pregnant and hadn't had the chance to tell Leo about it yet. Of course, Leo hadn't believed Dean when he told him about it, and wrote it off as the child's over active imagination. That is, until that night when Ying broke the news to him. Since that day though, Dean hardly ever revealed his dreams to anyone other than his cousin George who was his best and only friend.

As he finished retelling his nightmare to Splinter, tears rolling down his cheeks, he looked to his spirit advisor for help. Nodding slightly, the rat closed his eyes for a moment in thought before reopening them. The look that Dean saw there chilled him to the bone.

"I sense a darkness rising, my grandson. A darkness the likes my sons have never encountered. A hatred so powerful that it will not stop until it has completed its task." Splinter stated, his voice low and apprehension.

"But…but what does my dream mean, Grandpa? I don't get it."

"The death you foretold in your dream is the result of the darkness that is seeking you and the others. Be cautious, my young one. Heed any dream from now on with great respect. They could hold the key to our family's survival."

Dean opened his mouth to question Splinter's meaning, but sighed and closed it instead as he saw the blueness start to fade.

"Thanks…g'nite, Grandpa." He muttered as the last bit of bright blue light faded from view, leaving him once more alone in his dark quiet room, unable to sleep and unable to rid his mind of the horrible dream of death.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Ok...this chapter has been slightly altered. It was brought to my attention that I've been a bad author and haven't included one of my best characters in this story very much yet. So here is the new and improved chapter five with special appearence by ANGELA!! YAAAAAAY!! Enjoy it! And thanks Jade for pointing my lack of her being in here out to me! Don't worry, she'll be in it more from now on!**

**Also, again, don't forget to review and appease the muse within me and inspire me to write more and more often! ;O)**

* * *

Chapter Five: Not your Average Everyday Ninja Attack

The following morning, the lair was buzzing with its typical start-of-the-day mayhem. The four grown turtles were in the dojo doing their morning exercises while Gwen struggled to get Mitsu to sit down and eat her breakfast. There was a line outside the bathroom as Casey was in taking his shower. Henry and Dale were chasing each other around the couch for control of the TV before Henry would have to leave for school and Dale for his morning lessons with Donatello. Chris and Chip were tossing a backpack over the head of George as he jumped in an attempt to catch it while Julie was trying to make sure there were still four lunch boxes sitting on the counter for the four children able to attend school above ground. The only two exempt from the morning war were Angela—who had to leave early to get to school in time since she was a teacher—and Ying-Su who worked the three am to eleven am shift at the hospital for that exact reason.

Dean emerged from his room—which had once belong to Splinter—and groaned at the sight before him. Thanks to a restless night, the boy felt less than great and had a headache from hell to show for it. He didn't want to go to school feeling the way he did, but knew that unless he was unconscious, had a limb hanging by a tendon, spitting up blood, had a fever, was dead or on the brink of death, there was no way of getting out of going. That's what he got for having a teacher and a nurse for aunts he supposed.

Tugging on his coat and hat, Dean moved for the kitchen where his mother was helping Gwen to wrangle the grouchy five-year-old.

"Mom? I don't feel well, can I please stay home?" He asked, knowing his chances were slim but figuring it never hurt to try.

"Gwen? Is he missing any limbs or anything?"

"Nope, looks fine to me." Gwen answered as she scooped Mitsu up by the waist as she tried to run out of the kitchen refusing to eat her oatmeal. Julie tilted her head slightly.

"C'mere…" she said to her son. Dean sighed as he stepped up in front of her. Guiding her hand to his forehead, he closed his eyes and felt his shoulders slump. "No fever. Look honey, it's almost Christmas break and you haven't missed a day yet. If you aren't feeling better by lunch time call Aunt Gwen's store and I'll have Aunt Su bring me over and pick you up, ok?"

"But mom…I had a nightmare last night…I didn't get hardly any sleep."

"I'm sorry, babe, but you gotta go to school. Trust me, if my Grandma had let me stay home from school every time I didn't get hardly any sleep, I'd still be in the eighth grade. Like I said, if you're not feeling better by lunch break I'll come get you, deal?" Julie asked as she picked an Eggo waffle off a plate and held it out for him. Sighing in defeat, Dean took the frozen waffle and took a bite out of it.

"Deal…"

"Good. Now that that's settled, you four better get a move on or you'll be late." Gwen said as she glanced at the clock, her hand shooting out and latching onto the pink nightgown as it and the little girl inside of it tried to weasel out again.

"I don't wike Oatmeal!!"

"You're daddy does though, and you want to grow up big and strong like him, don't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Then please eat your Oatmeal?"

"No!"

Dean sighed heavily as he shook his head and picked his lunchbox up off the table. Turning, he gave his mother a hug and kiss before moving over to give the squirming little one a kiss on the head and one to his Aunt Gwen. He was just about to head for the door when he heard his father and three Uncles enter the main living area.

"Daddy!!" Mitsu exclaimed as she jumped to stand on the chair in order to give her father a good-morning hug. Dean couldn't help but give a faint smile as he saw how his no-nonsense uncle broke down his barriers and acted just as silly as his youngest brother when it came to making his daughter smile.

"Mitsu!!" Leo exclaimed in playful mock of his brightly smiling daughter as he picked her up in a hug and kiss.

"Thank God you guys are done. Leo, please show Mitzie that you like Oatmeal so that she'll eat her breakfast."

Dean watched as he saw his two remaining uncles and father start to smirk and chuckle to themselves. Looking back at his Uncle Leo, he saw him trying hard to keep his own breakfast down as he looked down at the lumpy warm cereal on the table. Years before, on a very rare occasion, Leo had become horribly sick and was unable to keep any food down that Splinter tried to give him except for Oatmeal. In fact, Leo ate so much Oatmeal in those insanely long and torturous two week, that since then, just the sight of Oatmeal would make his stomach lurch.

Gulping hard, the once fearless leader shifted uneasily under the expectant gaze of his adoring daughter. Setting her back down on her chair, Leo hesitantly reached out and took the spoon in his hand. Dipping the spoon into the cereal, he pulled it back out with hardly a full scoop and started to place it to his beak.

"Aw c'mon Leo. That's not enough proof. It's gotta be a bigger spoonful than that." Mike called as he moved to give his wife a kiss good-morning.

"Yeah, really Leo. That's not even enough to taste. You like it more than that." Don chimed in as he stepped next to Dean and placed a hand on his young son's shoulder, offering him a playful smile before looking back at his older brother.

Raph, unable to resist joining in on the torture they were performing on their eldest brother, stepped up next to him and took the spoon from him. Shoving it into the Oatmeal, he pulled it back heaping full of the soggy oats, milk and brown sugar dripping from the spoon.

"Now dis…dis is a spoonful. See dis, Mitz? Dis is how much yer daddy likes Oatmeal, ain't it Leo?"

Leo narrowed his eyes threateningly as Raph held the spoon out for him.

"C'mon Leo…yer li'l girl's waitin' ta see how much 'er daddy _looooves_ his Oatmeal. 'Ere comes da plane…in fer a landin'…veeeeeeeeeeroooooom." Raph said, trying his best to make airplane sounds as he moved the spoon around and shoved it towards his brother's mouth.

Leo's eyes went wide as he opened his mouth in protest only to have a spoon shoved down his throat. Closing his eyes and forcing himself not to throw up right then and there, Leo reopened his eyes and looked at his daughter who was smiling brightly and nodded, though his eyes plainly revealed to sickness he felt as the Oatmeal landed hard in the pit of his stomach.

"Mmmm…tastey…ain't it?"

Gulping in order to keep it from coming back up, Leo slowly nodded again and handed his daughter the spoon. Satisfied that her daddy really _did_ like Oatmeal, Mitsu took the spoon and began to shovel the cereal into her mouth. Excusing himself from the kitchen, Dean watched as Leo moved for the bathroom and couldn't help but laugh a little as his father and uncles all burst out into laughter.

Still laughing, Don leaned down to give his son a hug and kiss before grabbing an Eggo off the plate next to Julie, kissed her sweetly, and started off for his lab to get things in order for his morning science lesson. Knowing that the fun and games had ended, Dean sighed again as he tugged his backpack over his shoulder and started out of the kitchen.

"Boys, give George his book bag. They have to get to school. Liz! Henry! Get a move on." Gwen called as she started for the stairs leading up to the second story where the majority of the rooms were located along with the door leaving the lair.

Dean watched as Chip and Chris smirked evilly and tossed the bag to the stairs. Luckily, defending themselves wasn't the only reason the kids were being taught ninjitsu. Moving with lightening speed, Dean moved up a few steps and caught the bag before it could hit the concrete. He saw the look of relief in his cousin's eyes as George headed up the steps and took his bag back from him.

"Thanks Dean." He said quietly as he slipped both straps over his shoulders.

"No biggy."

"Are you girls done? Can we leave now?" Liz questioned from her place next to the door. One thing about it, even though she wore clothes that would clink and chime if anyone else wore them, Liz was some how able to move without a noise.

George frowned as he ducked his head slightly and placed his hands on his shoulder straps. Following his older sister and twin brother out the door, he looked to his left and saw his only best friend looking tired and uneasy.

"You ok?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah, fine. I just didn't get much sleep last night so I'm tired and my head kinda hurts." Dean answered as he shrugged and followed the cousins through the tunnels to the elevator that would bring them up in the back room of their Aunt Gwen's store.

"Oh, poor baby. I got five hours of sleep; you don't see me bitching do you?" Liz called over her shoulder.

_That's about two and a half more than I got._ Dean thought to himself as he sighed and stared at the concrete below his feet as he walked. He had to admit, he really appreciated the fact that his dad had figured out a way to make sure at least two tunnels leading topside had little to no sewage use anymore in order to help keep their clothes—and their mom's clothes—free from as much sewer stank as possible. And the air purifying vents he some how managed to install helped a great deal too.

"Want me to walk with you to school in case you get sick?" George asked as the quartette entered the elevator and started upward. Dean bit his lip a little as he nodded slightly. He needed to tell someone about his nightmare and what Splinter had told him, and he'd learn from experience that George was about the only one to listen and most times believe him.

Once out on the streets, Liz and Henry both made it a point to get as far ahead of George and Dean as they could—though Liz tried harder to get farthest away from all of them. As they walked though, Dean recapped his nightmare to George and the fear that it had placed within him. He then told how even Splinter had sensed that something was not right.

George listened closely as his younger cousin talked and hashed things over in his mind. To him, it sounded like something straight out of a science-fiction novel, but knew that it was in fact a very real occurrence for Dean. He was one of the very few in the lair who believed that Dean was capable of communicating with their deceased grandfather and that he sometimes was able to predict the future. However, this time around, George wasn't so sure he wanted to hear what Dean had seen. He certainly didn't like the idea of their entire family being wiped out by some unknown battle when they really had no enemies left to fight.

Shaking his head and shoving his hands in his pocket, George shrugged as they reached the primary school Dean went to.

"I dunno what to tell you, Dean, aside from that sounds creepy as all get-go."

"Yeah…tell me about it. How do you think I feel? After that, I didn't even want to blink cuz I was scared of seeing it all again."

"I'm sorry, buddy. Just…try not to think about it, ok? I mean…like you said, you don't know when or where any of this is going to happen so it's possible it's not going to happen any time soon."

"Or it could happen today." Dean muttered, turning to start up the sidewalk for the school.

"Hey, Mr. Sunshine-and-Kittens…nice attitude. I'll see ya after school." George called as he waved and headed off for his own school just down the street.

Sighing heavily, Dean waved back half-heartedly before shuffling into the school and down the hallway to his fourth grade classroom. Try as he might, the nine-year-old was unable to keep his mind on anything his teacher had been teaching that afternoon. His mind kept drifting back to his dream and the things Splinter had told him. Something wasn't right; something was making the hairs on his neck stand on end and his stomach twist and turn in knots.

When lunch break finally came around, Dean felt even more lightheaded and nauseous than he did that morning. Carrying his lunchbox into the nurse's office with him, his eyes dropped when he saw the line of kids standing there, a flustered and aggravated nurse and secretary at the front of the line. The majority of the line consisted of fifth graders who were unprepared for the testing they were being forced to take to determine how ready they were to move onto the sixth grade and were faking sick in an attempt to get out of it. Sighing and leaning against the wall next to the door, Dean watched as the secretary threw her arms in the air in disgust and called for the principal to come out and see the line of kids backing up.

Mr. Hanson was a fairly young principal with dark brown hair and eyes to match. He wasn't like the older principal the school had had the year before who was old enough the whole student body was sure he'd been the original principal from when the school was opened in the early 1800's. Mr. Hanson was a fair man and would even come out during recesses to play soccer or baseball with the kids.

The door separating the principal's office from the nurse's office opened and a man dressed in blue jeans and a blue button up shirt with a red tie around his neck and black with flame Converse sneakers on stepped out. At the sight of half the entire fifth grade class standing before him, he questioned their actions before instructing them all to go back to lunch and take their tests like they were supposed to. He then told the nurse and secretary that unless they were physically getting sick—coming into the office with a buddy holding a garbage can in front of them as they're throwing up kind of sick—that no one was to call home.

Feeling his stomach sink, Dean's eyes nearly watered over as he was pushed out the door by the horde of disgruntled older kids and shoved back down the hall towards the lunch room. Life just wasn't fair sometimes.

By the time the bell rang to dismiss them from school at three-thirty, Dean had broken out into a paranoid sweat and was constantly looking over his shoulder and out the window, half expecting to see some form of evil being standing there watching him and waiting for a chance to attack. Bolting from his seat as soon as the bell started ringing, Dean rushed to the coat closet and practically jumped over his classmates to get his coat and bag before sprinting down the hall and out the door. Sliding down the metal hand railing, the boy landed hard in front of his cousins who all seemed rather surprised to see him out so soon.

"What's the matter, Malinda? Got a hot date you gotta get to or something?" Henry asked his eyebrows knitted together as they turned to start back towards their home.

"No…I wanna get home. Can we please hurry?"

"Why?"

"Just _because_!"

Both Liz and Henry raised their hands in mock surrender as they picked up the pace some, Dean practically tripping over their heels as he power-walked to keep up with them. As they walked, they all couldn't help but feel as if they were being watched, and though they hated to admit it, Henry and Liz had felt that way all afternoon. It was rather unnerving really, though they both told themselves it was just their imaginations.

Gulping, George looked over his shoulder a number of times just to make sure there really wasn't anything behind them. _Sight is sometimes deceiving. _Those words his step-father had told him the day before rang loud and clear in his ears as he turned his attention back in front of him.

"Guys? I don't think we're alone." He said softly, leaning forward slightly so that his twin and sister could hear him.

"No shit, Sherlock. Just keep cool, dweebs. Malinda, you head for Aunt Gwen's place. Pipsqueak, you follow me and Henry back to mom's apartment, we'll call her from there to let her know what's going on. Got it?" Liz answered, her eyes straight ahead as her ninja honed senses kicked into high gear. Her three young charges nodded silently as they continued walking, picking up speed with each step.

"But…Lizzie? What if someone comes after us?" George asked nervously.

"Then we split up and book it for the nearest manhole or safe haven you can find, numbskull."

"But, dad always told us to stick together no matter what. Remember? It's one of our rules."

"Yeah well, there's an exception for every rule." Liz muttered as she shoved George in front of her before turning to her left and pushing Dean off in the direction of Eleventh Ave.

"Take off and don't stop running until you get to Aunt Gwen's. Go!"

Though Dean had never known for Liz to look out for anyone other than herself in his life, he wasn't about to question her now. Stumbling slightly as he grabbing hold of his backpack, Dean took off down the street. He silently prayed that whatever was following them would lose interest and that his cousins would make it the three streets and five blocks down to their mother's rented apartment.

* * *

Ying-Su laughed out loud as she heard from Julie what her brothers-in-law had done to Leo that morning at breakfast. In a way she found it hard to believe that her big brave husband became nauseated at the sight of Oatmeal, but then again, she also found it a useful piece of information should she ever decide to try and blackmail him into doing something for her.

Driving the green and white delivery truck down a side street, Ying-Su Young and Julie Alexander continued to laugh and joke about different things as they continued their small delivery route for Gwen. Since Casey was stuck in the lair doing his math and science homework Don had assigned him, he was unable to act as their normal driver and therefore left the job up to Ying-Su.

Having made their last stop on their list, the pair had started their trip back to the floral shop to pick up their next load. As Ying-Su turned the truck to start down a back alley used as a short cut to Eleventh Ave, a group of seven or eight black clad ninjas dropped to the pavement directly in front of them. Crying out in surprise and slamming on the brakes to keep from running them down, Ying-Su's eyes went wide and her heart hammered hard against her ribcage.

"What the frig, Suzie!?" Julie exclaimed, her arms braced hard against the dashboard in front of her.

Ying-Su gulped hard as the ninja's slowly began closing in on them. She certainly didn't like the looks of things and quickly hit the power lock button on the door. "I think we've got company, Jules."

"Oh joy. I just love unexpected company." Julie answered sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, I don't think you'll like these guys. I don't think they stopped us to try and get us to sell them flowers _or_ switch our car insurance to Geico."

"Then let's blow this Popsicle stand and get the shell back to the shop."

"That's easier said than done." Ying glanced in her side mirrors and watched as more fell from the fire escapes behind them and began moving for the back of the truck. She heard Julie's breath catch and knew that she'd finally picked up on the negative energy surrounding them.

"Ya know, I may be blind but uh…I think I have the feeling we are sorely out numbered."

"Oh, just a titch." Ying answered nervously. The odds certainly were against them and without the help of their weapons, both girls knew if they were to get out and defend themselves they more than likely would not live to make it back to the lair again. Mind racing to try and come up with an escape plan, Ying-Su felt her palms sweating as the now dozen or so ninjas inched closer and closer.

"Just so I know _how_ I'm about to die…what are we dealing with? Thugs? Punks? Mafia? Aliens?"

"Worse…ninjas…and they don't look like our friendly family members out to greet us. Why are they moving so slowly though? What are they waiting for?"

"I dunno, but I'm not in the mood to find out. Man, they picked the wrong women to mess with. How far is it to the shop?"

Ying glanced in her mirrors again before looking back at the ninjas creeping towards them. How far was it to the shop? Three more blocks? Four? Ying-Su couldn't remember clearly as visions of her family started flashing before her eyes. _Perfect_, she thought to herself, _I'm married to a ninja master who has been teaching me ninjitsu and what am I doing? Sitting here panicking._

Shaking her head, Julie moved slightly in her seat. She was not able to stay a sitting duck just waiting for the ninjas to intimidate them into trying to make a run for it on foot. Leaning over, Jules stuck out her hand until she felt the gear stick. Popping it up twice and slamming her foot down over Ying's, the two women lurched forward as the truck slammed into reverse and went careening backwards down the alley.

"What are you doing!? I can't backup! I'll hit someone!" Ying exclaimed as her knuckles turned white on the wheel.

"They are blood thirsty ninjas, Su; I highly doubt they're going to file a lawsuit against us! Besides, if they're dumb enough not to move out of the way then they deserve it." Julie answered as she took her foot off of Ying's. The sounds of people exclaiming in surprise around them rang clear in their ears as Ying brought the truck back out onto a main street, narrowly missing on coming cars as she did so.

Throwing it back into drive, Ying felt her hands and arms trembling as they rocketed down main streets back to the shop, hardly stopping for the different traffic lights along the way. Both were hoping and praying that the ninja's hadn't followed them or worse yet, beaten them there.

When the two dazed and rattled women returned to the store, they cautiously parked the truck in the garage and double checked to make sure the locks on all the back and side doors to the building were secure and locked. The last thing they wanted was for another sneak attack. Moving for the back room, Julie felt her way to the refrigerator and pulled a bottle of water out, downing the majority of it in one drink.

"Gwen? Are you here?" Ying-Su called, looking around nervously as she stepped out into the main part of the building.

Angela looked up from her place at the counter where she sat looking over English papers and smiled at her sister-in-law. She had gotten there only moments before after finishing her day of teaching and knew that her best friend would appreciate her company and help at the shop.

Her green eyes shinning happily, she waved her red pen at Ying and spun around slightly on the cushioned stool. "Hey Suse…Gwen's down in the lair. She took Dean—what's the matter?"

Ying-Su sniffled as she looked around the sales floor for anything that might be out of place. "I…I have to call Leo. I need to make sure the kids got home ok."

"Su, what happened? Tell me! Why don't people tell me things anymore!! I'm not that big of a squeal! I won't tell anyone! What happened? Julie!? What happened? Someone tell me _something!!_"

Julie carefully walked up to the counter and placed a hand on the cool wooden top. "We got ambushed by ninjas on the way back."

"Ninjas? Um…ok…what's so bad about," Angie's face paled as her eyes went wide. "NINJAS?! There's no ninjas in New York City!! Well, ok, except for the guys…and our kids…and that dojo down the street…what's it called? Um…um…Chen's or something like that."

"Angie…shush." Julie answered placing a hand out to try and cover her quickly rambling sister who was on the verge of hysterics herself.

Ying-Su moved for the phone on the wall behind the counter and quickly dialed in her husband's shell cell number. She watched as Julie moved cautiously around the sales floor as if counting each step she took before turning one direction or another so as to avoid running into anything. Hearing her husband's voice brought a sob like sigh to Ying's mouth as she suddenly broke down in tears and recounted the whole ordeal.

"Shh…it's alright, Ying. You girls aren't hurt are you?" Leo asked, his voice a calm façade for the fear he felt pulsing through him at the thought of them being hurt.

"N-no…no we're fine…just…just shaken."

"Calm down, Ying; everything will be just fine. Gwen just left here, she brought Dean home, and she's on her way back up now. So she should be there any minute now. When she gets back, I want you and Julie to lock up the store and come back home. I'll round up my brothers and we'll go out and see what we can find out about these ninjas, alright?"

Ying gulped and nodded as she moved to keep an eye on the backroom, wanting to catch Gwen right as she came off the elevator when she arrived. She tried hard to ignore the muffled exclamations coming for the blonde at the counter who was still trying to piece together everything she'd just heard.

"Alright. A-Are…did Liz and the boys make it back from school alright?"

There was a slight pause on the other end. Suddenly Ying's heart stopped and her blood ran cold. It was never a good thing when Leo didn't answer her questions right away.

"Leo? Where are Liz and the boys?"

"It's alright, Ying. They just walked in."

"What do you _mean_ they _just _walked in!? They should have been home an hour ago!"

"Ying-Su, relax. I'm going to find out right now what took them so long. I'm going to go now. You girls be careful and make sure to lock all the doors on the shop as soon as Gwen gets there." Leo ordered, turning to watch as the three very out of breath children slid down the wall just inside the lair, sweat plastering their hair to their faces and necks.

"Alright, we will."

"Good girl. I love you. See you in a bit." Waiting long enough to hear Ying's feeble response, Leo hung up his phone and moved to stand before his three step-children.

"You three better have a good explanation for being an hour late coming home."

"Do you consider…being chased by psychos…in black pajamas…for a half hour as…a good ex…planation?" Henry questioned, his chest heaving up and down as he fanned himself with the collar of his shirt. If it were at all possible for turtles to turn white, Leo was sure that's the color he would have been at hearing one of his kids say such a thing.

* * *

Ying trembled uncontrollably as she hung the phone back up on the wall. Angie sat ram-rod stiff on the stool while Julie held a hand over her mouth to keep her from continuing her barrage of questions. Wiping away her tears quickly, she turned as she heard the service elevator doors open and slide close again.

"Hey ladies, good timing. Jules, you are never going to believe the tale Dean spun for me. He came racing in here like a bat out of Hell after school rattling something about someone or something following him and that whatever it was had been watching him all day. Ya know, I think he was telling the truth this morning when he said he didn't feel well. He didn't look his greatest this afternoon." Gwen rattled, not yet noticing the tear stains on her sister's face.

Julie released Angie from her grasps when she heard Gwen step into the room and moved up against the wall.

"NINJAS!!" Angie exclaimed, her eyes still wide as she sprang from the stool and grabbed her best friends shoulders. Gwen raised an eyebrow and glanced at her two other sisters before carefully removing Angie's hands from their steel like grasp.

Julie sighed and shook her head as she shoved away from the wall and placed a hand on the counter once more. "Was it a ninja that was following him?"

"What? No…I don't think so. I don't know, he didn't say. Why?"

"Gwen, no time to explain. Leo wants us to close shop _now_ and get back down to the lair." Ying-Su answered as she rushed about, making sure the front door was double locked and the curtains were down on the windows. Not one to question an order from Leo—especially not one that seemed to have all three of her sisters-in-law so distressed—Gwen quickly went about depositing that day's cash sales into the drop box behind the counter before following them back down to their sewer home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Fit hits the Shan here people! Also, I re-wrote part of chapter five--nothing too major, just wrote Angie into the scene at Green T Floral--so feel free to check out that little improvement. Chapter seven to be posted sometime tomorrow afternoon.**

* * *

Chapter Six: The Turtles Meet Dark Shadow

No visible sign of expression showed on her porcelain white face as Dark Shadow moved silently down the halls of her master's hideout. Power and confidence radiated off her well toned body and she moved with the prowess of a tigress looking for her next kill. Her black hair hung down her back in one long tight braid while her black keikogi clothes hung loose off her body. A dark blue hood and cape however concealed the horrible "deformation" on her back while the leather gloves on her hands helped to hide the fact she only contained half of the five fingers a person should have on each hand.

Nearly gliding into her master's quarters, Dark Shadow came to a stop before him and bowed low in greeting.

"My Lord. We've reason to reason to believe we have found two out of the four women those freaks have forced to marry them. Possibly four of their children also. Though they looked human enough, they did have a certain energy about them that wasn't quite human, particularly the youngest." She stated, her arms straight down at her sides as she stood, her shoulders squared, with a sense of reverence for the man seated before her.

A small smile spread across the lips of the dark haired man as he stood and moved to walk around his desk. Dressed in traditional Japanese garb, the fair skinned Irish-Japanese man placed his hands behind his back.

"So, the turtles discovered they really _could_ reproduce without causing harm to their mate. That's interesting. And William said it could never be done. Goes to show how little he truly knew." He smirked as he came to stand before his young apprentice.

Oruku Usagi had changed his name several years prior from his family last name of Higgins to his Japanese mother's maiden name. Somehow, he felt it held more power and significance. He also felt it befitting that his own cousin Oruku Saki had been the one to start the age old battle with the turtles and he would be the one to finally bring an end to it. Though he had tried seventeen years before that day to terminate the creatures that had brought dishonor to his family name, Usagi soon realized he was unprepared for their attack and had sorely underestimated them. Now, with his secret weapon (and an army three times the size of his cousins) he felt confident that when the smoke from their battle settled his team would be the last ones standing with the blood of their opponents dripping from their blades and dying the very sewer waters they stomped through a nice shade of crimson.

"Very well done, my dear. Well done indeed. It is time to bring those creatures out of the woodwork. Take your team back into the city, those turtles are sure to be out looking for you after the way you frightened their mates and offspring. Wouldn't want to disappoint them now would we?"

Though no smile appeared on her face, Shadow felt her adrenalin start to race as she nodded slightly. She loved a good fight and if those turtles were even half as good as they were famed to be, she was sure to enjoy slaughtering each of them.

"One more thing, my dear. Don't forget what I've told you about them. The turtle that was behind snatching you from your birth mother and conducting those horrible experiments on you is the one they call Michelangelo, he wears an orange mask and chooses to battle with nunchakus. If I recall correctly, he's a bit of a klutz so he shouldn't be too much trouble for you." Usagi said smoothly, a coy smile on his face as he watched the fire ignite in the hazel eyes before him.

"He shall be the first to go."

* * *

Dark Shadow watched from under her hood as her team of ninjas set about trashing anything within sigh. Unlike Saki's gang of ninjas who only acted under orders and didn't bother with unnecessary destruction, Shadow's band excelled in the destruction of anything and everything. It didn't matter to them whose car they cut the tires on or what store front window they smashed through. To them, the police were a mild annoyance—the ants at a picnic—that needed nothing more than a few well placed kicks to rid them of the spoiled-sports.

The band of ninjas had been out terrorizing the streets for nearly an hour still with no sign of the turtles. It was beginning to aggravate Shadow and when things aggravated her they tended to have a shorter life expectancy. Growling low in her throat, Shadow turned her gaze to the rooftops in hopes of seeing their silhouettes against the moonlit November sky. To her great surprise and amusement, that was exactly what she saw. Raising her fist to silently alert her team, she watched as the four turtles dropped from the rooftop onto a near by fire escape before landing in the middle of the darken alley. _Age has soften them_, she thought smugly, _If they were truly as great as they are supposed to be they would not have hesitated in dropping straight from the roof to the ground._

Weapons drawn and ready, Leo cautiously led his brothers into the dim light to confront Shadow. Something wasn't right. There weren't supposed to be any organized ninja clans left in New York City (except for his clan of course) once they did away with Shredder. And who was this girl standing in front of them leading the group?

"Ya know, it ain't nice ta be trashin' uddah people's property." Raph said, his fingers just itching to twirl his sais into offense position and sink one into any number of punks in front of him.

"Not to mention taking out two of NYC's fine boys-in-blue. Gonna be some very unhappy people in the morning." Don piped in as he casually leaned against his bo-staff.

"How many years is it now for destruction of private property and assaulting a police officer? Fifteen…twenty years?" Mike asked as he twirled a nunchaku nonchalantly.

"Probably a little longer than that, but yeah, I'd say that was a pretty good guess, Mike."

Shadow's eyes narrowed into thin slits as her gaze traveled from one turtle to the next. They all looked the same to her and in the dim light it was hard for her to tell the difference between red and orange. She didn't like being taunted or have people being foolish enough to try and intimidate her.

"Who are you?" Leo finally questioned, his own eyes narrowed threateningly. "What did you want with our families?"

Shadow actually wanted to laugh when she heard that. She had no _real_ interest in the rest of them; they were ones her Master Usagi wanted dead. Her mission consisted of one thing and one thing alone; destroy the turtles _at all costs_.

She gave a small smirk behind her blue scarf as she heard one of the turtles give a low and agitated growl.

"Ya know, not givin' us an answer is only pissin' me off more. We don't like it when people try ta scare our wives or our kids. An' Michelangelo 'ere…he _especially_ takes offense to it. Kinda pisses 'im off ta da point where he sees red. Trust me, ya won't like 'im when he's pissed off." Raph growled, his body tense and ready.

Shooting her eyes to the right and glaring past Leonardo, Shadow pulled her own sais from her belt and rushed towards them at an alarming speed, her team following right behind. Flipping clear over Leo's head, Shadow landed in front of Michelangelo and instantly began her attack.

"Hey wait a second! I'm not the leader! He is! You jumped right over him!" Mike exclaimed as he stumbled backwards, completely caught off guard by her actions. Leaders never went after him first. He always went up against the other lackeys and let Leo worry about taking out the best and the brightest of the group.

Shadow saw red flash before her eyes as Mike cowered backwards in an attempt to escape her. This certainly wasn't the way she had expected him to fight. He acted as if his skills were no where near what the one in blue possessed. _A trick no doubt. He'd like me to think he wasn't the one behind it all. Clever. But not clever enough._

Leo—also confused by Shadow's actions—glanced over his shoulder to check on his youngest brother before turning his full attention back to the warriors attacking him. These ninjas were just as skilled as The Foot Ninjas had been but with far less honor and discipline. They fought with lightening speed making it difficult for Leo to distinguish one from another and who was delivering which blow. Bringing the blade of his katana down quickly, he gave a small sigh of relief when he realized he'd been able to finally take out one of five attacking him simultaneously. He could hear his two other brothers on either side of him, trying to keep with their tradition of playful banter though it sounded far more strained than it used to.

"Uh…guys!? Could I please…get a little…oomph…help here?" Mike called as he barely dodged the glistening tip of Shadow's sai.

"Would if I…could bro. But…I'm a little busy…at the moment…please leave a message…after the beep…and I'll do my best…to get back to you…when I have…a little…extra…time." Don stammered as he struggled to keep the bisento blades from cutting him in half or taking his head off.

"Look lady…maybe we got off on the wrong foot here. My name's Michelangelo…I'm one of the good guys. Ya know…one of the ones…that's supposed to ride off…into the sunset?"

Shadow growled as she twirled out of the way of his nunchakus. Lashing out once more, she watched as her blade sliced across his forearm, drawing a nice straight line of red from one side to the other.

Crying out in pain, Mike quickly forced himself to concentrate most of his energy to his other arm and to block the burning sensation he felt pulsating in his left arm.

"Ok…clearly you're not a Western watcher." He mumbled through clenched teeth as he moved under the light of the alley lamp. He could hear his brother's cries of pain as they too were caught with one form of a weapon or another. For some reason, it seemed to Mike, that this was a much tougher battle for them to win than they used to be. Of course, then again, in the past he was never the one going up against the most lethal of them all.

Bringing his good arm up and around quickly, he felt the wood connect with her back as he ducked to the side. Eye ridges knitted together, he thought for a second as Shadow spun back towards him. _That didn't feel like a normal person's back. That felt like…_

"…a shell…" he whispered out loud before a foot struck out and connected with the side of his head.

The bitter taste of blood filled his mouth as his brain rattled from one side to the other inside his skull.

Barely coming to his senses in time, Mike leaned back to try and avoid having the triple blades of Shadow's deadly sais planted deep in his chest. Instead, he growled out and fell to the ground as the tip pierced his plastron and sliced a rather deep gash diagonally down. Any deeper and she would have been able to turn him inside out—something he was certain his brothers and Gwen would not like to see.

"Brothers, retreat." Leo called, his head swimming in pain. Using what little strength he had left, Leo turned and went after Shadow, knocking her to the ground before she could deliver her final blow to the turtle beneath her.

Helping Mike to his feet quickly but carefully, Leo half dragged his brother to the nearest manhole. He watched as Raph and Don struggled to free themselves from their attackers and as Shadow began to recover from his unexpected blow.

Kicking out with all his might, Raph was finally able to level the last of the ninja's he had to battle and went –half limping half running-- for the manhole. Diving down the ladder first, he reached up and carefully helped Mike down while Leo waited anxiously for their final brother.

Sweat mixed with blood as it rolled down Don's beaten and battered body. He couldn't remember the last time they'd been so royally thrashed by their opponents, especially for no other reason than the attackers probably weren't in a good mood. He could feel the wood of his bo-staff splinter and bend under the stress he was putting it under and was sure one more blow would do it in. A gash just above his eye sent thick hot red liquid into his line of sight and prevented him from seeing properly. Finally having enough of their games, he quickly ducked his head as yet another ax blade came at him. Donatello felt the air shift just over his head and watched as his purple bandana fell to the ground.

"Ok…too close." He panted. Dropping to the ground, he quickly tucked the two pieces of cloth into his belt as he rolled himself over and somersaulted out of their line of fire.

"The game was fun, you were worthy opponents, remind me to send your Master a note." He called, paraphrasing a line from the movie 'The Three Musketeers' as he dodged shurikens and blow darts. Not even bothering with the ladder, Don dived head first down the manhole, flipping himself upright half-way down, before collapsing upon impact with the concrete.

Seconds later Leo joined them in the tunnel, blood gushing from his arms and sides. Ignoring his own pain and discomfort, He pulled Don back to his feet and helped to lead them back to the lair.

* * *

Shadow growled as she narrowed her eyes and watched the turtles disappear into the sewers. Raising her fist once more to stop her team, she looked to her hand in utter disgust. It sickened her to no end to see how much she resembled those hidious freaks.

"Do we follow?" a male voice asked from her side. Lowering her fist, Shadow glared at the manhole cover. If there was one thing she hated more than those freaks of nature, it was the thought of being trapped in the sewers with no easy escape should she need it. Though, she was not about to admit her severe case of claustrophobia to those cretins that considered themselves her ninja brethren.

Scowling, she turned effortlessly and started off for their warehouse fortress.

"No. We will bring them back to the surface. This is far from over."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Here's chapter seven everyone. Keep up the reviews and I'll keep up the postings!!**

* * *

Chapter Seven: The Aftermath

When the kids all woke up the next morning and shuffled into the dojo for their morning exercises, they were shocked to find that their father's weren't already in there getting in a little time for themselves. It wasn't like them not to meet the kids in the dojo each morning, especially not on a Saturday morning.

"Where are they?" Tabitha asked as she looked around in confusion.

"It's a Saturday, maybe they're sleeping in." Henry answered as he yawned and stretched his arms out wide. Casey rolled his eyes as he leaned against a nearby wall.

"They never sleep in, especially not on a Saturday."

"Well, maybe they're watching cartoons or something. I know that's what _I'd_ rather be doing." Dale said tiredly as he moved to lie down on a stack of mats.

"When was the last time you saw them watching cartoons when they should have been in here practicing with us?"

"Ye-yesterday." Dale yawned, his eyes already closing again.

"All of them, Dale-bee, not just dad." Tabitha answered, giggling softly to herself as she thought about her dad watching morning cartoons with Mitsu the day before.

Liz frowned as she crossed her arms and glared about the dojo. "Well if they aren't going to show up, I'm going back to bed. It's too freakin' early to be doin' this crap anyways."

"I'm with Wednesday. Screw this." Chip muttered.

Both teens turned to leave and head back for their rooms. If their father's didn't even bother letting them know there wasn't going to be any practice that morning, then why should they bother staying awake?

Chris shrugged sleepily and turned to follow his best friend out the door. His eyes only half open, he didn't have to time react when both Liz and Chip stopped in their tracks. Stumbling into Chip's back, Chris' eyes opened and he shoved his cousin's shoulder.

"What's the wise idea, jerk? How come you stopped?"

When no one said a word in answer, Chris growled and shook his head. Shoving past the two frozen cousins, he walked until he once again was stopped by a body blocking the way. Grumbling and cursing under his breath, he looked up, half expecting to find another cousin standing there. What he saw instead made his blood run cold.

Leo stood in front of his students, arms crossed over his bandaged and bruised plastron. White medical gauze pads were taped and wrapped on and around different places of his body and he looked as if he'd had a fight with a lawn mower and lost horribly. Dark purple splotched his normally light green colored skin while dried scrapes and cuts drew patterns along his arms and shoulders.

Mitsu, who had been scooped up out of bed by Delaney and brought down into the dojo for practice, rubbed her eyes sleepily as she struggled to clear her vision enough to see why everyone was so quiet. Shuffling her pajama covered feet across the floor, she stopped at her father's feet and slowly trailed her gaze upward. When it clicked in her head that it was her father who was looking none too happy and even worse for wear, Mitsu's bottom lip began to tremble. Terrified to see her father bandaged up in such a way, the little girl took off out of the dojo in tears, screaming for the comfort of her mommy.

If Leo was even half-way fazed by the actions of his youngest daughter, his emotions were lost on his face as he merely stood towering before them, gaze piercing. A moment or two later, two more battered figures hobbled through the door to stand next to their brother.

Delaney and Dean both gasped when they saw their father. A large white gauze covered his right eye while strips of clothe wrapped around his throbbing skull. More white clothe wrapped around his shoulder and down to his chest where it connected with a much wider and thicker piece that wrapped a number of times around his entire upper chest area. His legs were covered in bruises while his left ankle was wrapped tightly. In his cut hands he held his bandana and the two pieces of his bo-staff.

To Donatello's left stood Raphael, whose entire upper left arm was wrapped in a white bandage; dots of red forming a line down the middle of it. A large cut spread from the middle of his beak diagonally down to the right across his face, sewn back together carefully with more stitches than he would have ever wanted _anywhere_ on his body. As with the rest of his brothers, Raph's normally green colored skin was painted a dark shade of blue and purple with only hints of his original color scattered in here and there. For once in his life, Chris felt awkward and truly afraid as he slowly backed up next to his older brother. Casey gulped hard as he offered his fourteen-year-old brother a rare gesture of comfort by placing a hand on his shoulder.

For what felt like lifetimes, no one made an effort to move or to speak. They'd never seen their father's like that before. The thought that there was something out there skilled enough to make their father's look like they'd been placed inside a giant blender scared them all beyond all words or coherent thought.

It didn't make sense. Who would do such a thing to them? What had they done that was so horrible that they barely survived to tell about it?

"Wh-where's dad?" Dale questioned softly, his timid and frightened voice breaking the silence as his eyes shot between his three uncles. Tabitha felt her heart stop when she realized their father hadn't walked in with the others. Fear began to tighten its hold on her lungs as she waited for their uncles to answer.

"Where is he? Where's our dad? Daddy?! DADDY!?" She cried, bolting from the dojo.

"DAD?!"

"YO DAD!!"

Both brothers ran from the room, following their sister as she stumbled through the lair in a frantic search for their father. Tears were streaming down her face as panic began to over take her. Surely if something had happened to him they would have been told right away…wouldn't they?

Feeling her limbs begin to tremble, Tabby fell hard against a body as it put their arms around her and held her in a tight hug. She struggled to get free from the hold the person had on her. Don's make-shift hospital room was the only place left to check, she had to see.

"Shhh…it's ok, Tabby. Your mom and dad need some time alone right now." The voice said, its deep kindness and gentleness lost on her as she kicked and fought against him.

"Lemme go Uncle Greg! Lemme GO!! DADDY!!"

Greggory Markus sighed and looked to his friends and honorary family members for support as he held the teen in his arms, trying his hardest to block her view of the bed inside.

Angela watched as her niece fought hard against Greggory. She knew how much Tabitha wanted to see her dad and make sure he was alright. Angie also knew however, if she were to see him like that there'd be no consoling the girl. Biting her lip, Angie stepped forward and put her hand on Tabitha's shaking shoulder.

"Tabby? It's ok, really. Your dad's…well…he's resting that's all."

"I don't care! I wanna see him!! Why can't I just see him!?"

Angela started to open her mouth to respond when she saw Gwen step up behind Greggory, her cheeks not nearly as red and tear-stained as they had been earlier that morning when she first saw her husband.

Stepping up in front of her daughter, Gwen held her hand out to pull her in for a hug.

"Mom…" Dale whispered, gulping hard as he saw the look of pain in his mother's eyes.

"Is…is dad gonna be ok?" Chip questioned, for once in his life his voice sounding concerned and frightened.

Tabitha pulled away from her mother with a very uncharacteristic fire burning in her eyes.

"Like you care, Chip!? You couldn't care less if he was alright or not!"

"Tabitha!"

"Like Hell I don't care!"

"Chip and Tabitha, stop it." Gwen said, her heart breaking at the sight of her children fighting like they were. It was no big mystery to the family that the two, though twins, weren't always the best of friends. Nor was it a mystery that Chip preferred to hide his feelings behind a mask of toughness and uncaring attitude for just about everyone around him.

"You _never_ care about anyone or anything! The only thing _you_ care about is _YOU!"_

"Screw you, Tabitha! I care about a lot more than just myself! I could give a flamin' rat's ass about myself most times!"

"You don't even care enough about Grandpa to use a different phrase!!"

By this time the rest of the family had moved from the dojo into the living room to watch what all the commotion was about. Dale stood in front of his Aunt Angela, terrified that his own brother and sister would dive for each other's throats at any time. Sure, he'd seen them fight before, a few times even seen them throw blind punches at each other, but for whatever reason there was, this felt a lot more lethal than the others.

The fire storm of words continued to shoot between the twins as Gwen's eyes watered over once more. There was no reason for them to be fighting one another like they were. It wasn't as if they'd never been taught other ways of settling conflicts between themselves.

"CHIP DOUGLAS AND TABITHA LYNN, _ENOUGH!!_"

Both teens stopped mid spat and whipped their heads to the side, utterly caught off guard by the unfamiliar loud and booming voice that had interrupted them.

Glancing over her shoulder where the yell had come from, Gwen gave a small gasp. "Michelangelo, what are you doing out of bed. You need to be resting."

"Little hard to do with two fifteen year olds screaming bloody murder at each other, babe." Mike answered, his right arm hanging down at his side while his left was wrapped and placed in a make-shift sling. There had been a legitimate reason why Mike and Gwen had chosen to wait for them to see him; but far be it for him to force them away from him. If they really wanted to see him that badly, then so be it. Slowly stepping forward, he watched as the color drained from his children's faces.

His skin was no longer its healthy bright green color; instead it had changed to a strange mixture of charcoal grey and pale pastel green. The shinning blue eyes that Tabitha had always known to be sparkling with childish mischief where now dulled and partly glazed as they looked down at her and her brother. The final gash across his plastron had been carefully sewn shut, though due to its length, was left unwrapped.

When Raph had dragged his youngest brother through the door early that morning, Gwen had been the first to see them. True, Mike hadn't thought that to be the greatest thing in the world for his wife to see him like that, especially considering it was nearly how he had found her seventeen years before in a closet. Ever the jokester though, the orange clad turtle forced a smile to his face as he carefully put an arm over her shoulder.

"_Hey Babe…look…now we've got matching scars. Bet mine's longer…"_

Glaring hard at his brother and sister, Dale pulled away from Angela and shoved past them. Moving by his mom, he looked up at his father and hesitantly reached out to hug him. Gulping and fighting back tears, the eleven-year-old could care less about his siblings and their stupid fight at that moment. He was just glad to see his dad was truly ok.

A slightly pained smile appeared on Mike's face as he patted his son's shoulder.

"It's alright, Duder. Nothin' a little sleep and steady diet of cartoons can't heal." He said, trying to lighten the air around them.

Stepping up to them, Leonardo frowned as he looked down at his niece and nephew. Both teens hung their heads in shame under the disapproving glare of their uncle.

"As long as we are unable to properly train the younger kids, you two, Casey, and Chris will be responsible for their training. There will be no more fights between each other, is that clear?"

"Yes, Uncle Leo."

Leo nodded slightly before glancing back at Ying-Su who was still rocking their daughter back and forth in her arms. Giving a small sigh, he turned his attention back to the three children in front of him.

"The adults and I have talked and have decided until this all blows over none of you are to leave this lair for any reason what-so-ever. Whoever these people were that had been following Liz and the others after school also tried to ambush your Aunt Su and Aunt Julie. They're also the people that did this to us, last night. They're dangerous and deadly."

He watched as all eleven pairs of young eyes turned towards him.

"But…what about us, dad? We've got school." George asked quietly from behind him. Turning, Leo knew he was about to open a whole new can of worms when he announced their decision for the four allowed topside for school.

"We talked about that also. Monday morning your mom is going to take you three and Dean to school. While you're there, your Aunts are going to help move some of your belongings back up to the apartments. Then at three o'clock, she'll pick you four back up, drop Dean off at your Aunt Gwen's apartment where Julie will be waiting for him and then drive you three back to the apartment."

"What?! That's total bull, I can't believe this! Whatever those things were that were chasing us are going to have a wide open shot at us now! We're in even more danger up there then we are down here!" Liz exclaimed.

"You also have better access to the police if they're needed." Leo shot back, in no mood to argue with the sixteen-year-old. "Besides that, your mom is going to be driving you straight to and from school every day, no stops in between. Once you get home, you're to stay there the rest of the night. Understood?"

Liz glared hard at her step-father. Despite the fact that he had saved their lives when she was six and had managed to weasel his way into her mother's heart, Elizabeth still held resentment towards him for allowing her real father to be shot to death. If he had truly been there to protect him, then she and her brothers wouldn't be in the mess they were in then, and her father would still be alive. It made bile rise in her throat each time she heard Henry or George call Leo 'dad'. He wasn't their dad; never was, never would be.

The thing she hated most was the fact her own mother allowed herself to carry and give birth to Mitsu. If Liz was going to have another little sibling, it should have been with her real dad.

"You can't tell me what to do."

"As long as you're still under eighteen he can." Ying-Su answered as she stepped up next to Leo, Mitsu asleep in her arms.

"This is total bull. We don't even freakin' live where normal laws apply! What makes you think _that one_ should!? You're _not_ my father, _Leonardo_, I don't have to do a damn thing you say. My father actually _cared_ for our well being! If something was after us he would have hidden us away so deep no one would ever find us! Not…throw us out into the open and watch as we got torn to shreds!"

"Sometimes the best hiding place is right under a person's nose."

"My God you are so full of it!!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up into the air as she stormed off towards her second story bedroom.

"Elizabeth Blair Young!"

"Su…don't. It's alright." Leo said softly as he watched the girl go running into her room and slam the door closed. "She has every right to be upset."

Turning his attention back to the remaining kids, he sighed softly before lowering his arms to his sides. He didn't have the patience or strength to deal with any of them; for the first time in his life all he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep the whole rest of the day away.

"You kids are free to do whatever you want this weekend. Just remember, stay in the lair."

Jaws slack in amazement, the cousins all watched as their fathers all turned and disappeared into their own rooms to finally get some sleep and try to heal.

"A free weekend?"

"What do kids _do_ on weekends?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: This is short, I'm sorry. I'm making up for it by posting two chapters today. This is really just a slight insight on Dark Shadow herself. Enjoy.**

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Chapter Eight: Into the Darkness

:Shadow's Journal:

I sit alone in my dark room. Staring into the abyss as it surrounds me, suffocating me, reaching into my lungs and sucking every last breath I possess.

No lights, no windows, nothing to ease my somnolent nerves except for this tiny candle.

Fear is a caustic enemy for a warrior; one that should be beaten down into submission. A true warrior has no place for fear except to instill it in the hearts and minds of their true enemies.

I curse myself aloud as sweat beads its way down my brow. How dare my mind allow the weakness within to come forward and torture me.

Since an insignificant age, and my first time doing wrong by my Master Usagi, the fear of enclosed areas has haunted my very being. Still I am placed in box like rooms with no solace.

Words of comfort? There is no such thing for a warrior. A gentle touch, kind words, and the ever infernal love weaken a warrior. A weak warrior is a dead warrior.

The only thing that drives a true warrior is anger and hatred. And as I look down at my three fingered hands, my hatred for those monstrous turtles grows.

Often have I laid in bed, hearing my mother's voice calling out to me, begging me to avenge her death, to kill those who had stolen me from her. I can hear her even now in my dark prison cell, crying out for release from the torture chamber they held her in; screaming in pain as they conducted their atrocious experiments on her over and over again.

Master Usagi rescued me when I was only hours old. When I did not turn out green like they were but instead white like my mother with her head and face but the body of a monster, they viewed me as a failure; tossed my gutted mother and me into the nearest dumpster, leaving us for the garbage disposal to take us away.

I have spent fifteen years of my life training and waiting for the day when I would finally meet the freaks that killed my mother and left me for dead. Had it not been for them, I would have been accepted into the world outside and not seen only as yet another unnatural being.

Tonight I had my chance to kill my mortal enemies and failed. I allowed my fear to over-take me and for them to escape into their sewer hideaway.

I failed myself and I failed my master. I deserve every hour in which my breath stops short of my lungs and the darkness pulls me under.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Thus endith the prewritten chapters. Now you all must wait for me to get around to writing the rest of them. _Please_ don't forget to review. I'm not asking much by asking you to write, 'great job' or 'neat' am I? Remember...reviews equals new chapters faster. Keep that in mind...thanks to all who have been reviewing though. You people make reading my email worth while.**

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Chapter Nine: Rules Were Made to be Broken

Chris rolled his head to the side and stared at his clock blankly. Seven-thirty PM and he was lying in bed bored out of his mind. They weren't used to not having a morning and evening filled with ninja practice or training runs through the sewers. Their weekends always consisted of one full morning—from six am until eleven am—in the dojo sparring against one another, meditating, or working on their katas, as well as a full evening—from five pm until nine pm for the older kids, eight for the younger—spent reciting rules and demonstrating the different techniques and tactics their fathers (mostly Leo) would call out for them. The time left in between was usually spent doing homework or vegging in front of the television.

That night however, with more free time than they were ever used to in their young lives, no one was sure what to do.

Chris growled as he moved to the wall he kept his katanas on and carefully pulled them down. Their father's had nearly been killed by some unknown villain and they were being told they couldn't do squat about it? That was bull.

Looking down at the gleaming steel in his hands, he shook his head and placed them back on the wall. Though they were the weapons he was best with, he was skilled enough with the other weapons to still do some serious damage with. Knowing he wouldn't be able to hide those under his jacket, he quietly crept down the hall to Henry's room. Henry had decided earlier that day that he would spend his free time helping his two aunts get things together for the move topside which gave Chris just the chance he needed to invade his cousins room.

Glad the boy was a neat freak and never had any real problem with his cousins coming and going from his room; Chris opened the door and walked in like it was his own room. Heading for the small chest at the foot end of the bed, he carefully opened it and smiled at the arsenal he saw before him.

Henry had stock piled shurikens into the chest for reasons Chris wasn't sure he wanted to know. Removing a belt and sash that held more than enough deadly little stars, he quickly put it on before reaching in and discovering the cloth that held the two shinning sais. Giving a smirk, he carefully tucked those between his body and the belt before closing the chest and putting his jacket back on.

After closing the door to his eleven-year-old cousin's room, he turned and moved two doors down to Chip's bedroom he was forced to share with Dale. Lucky for them, Dale was already asleep on the couch, his head on a pillow of spilt popcorn and half inside the tipped bowl the salty treat had once been in.

"Yo Chip, c'mon, we're goin' out." Chris said, leaning against the door and quietly calling out to his accomplice.

Without a sound, the door opened a minute later and Chip strolled out, a smug smile plastered on his face.

Turning, the two moved down the stairs and across the lair to the dojo and up the rickety old metal staircase to the second floor where more cousins were housed. Sliding past the first three bedroom doors, they paused outside the fourth and looked around. No one seemed to be following them.

Slipping into the semi-dark room, they glanced around before finding their gear-head cousin attempting to put her own computer back together. They weren't sure why she'd decided to take it apart to begin with, but then with Delaney, no one was really sure why she did much of anything.

"Lane…we need you to loop the security cams for us." Chip said.

"HA!" Was her response, her head buried deep in the bowls of her monitor.

"C'mon, we mean it. Chip an' me wanna go topside for awhile."

"Yeah, well I meant it, too. Ha! I'm not looping those cams for you. Well, not for free anyways." Delaney answered, pulling her grease and dirt smudged face out from inside the monitor to look at her two older cousins like they'd gone crazy.

Chris looked at Chip with a raised eye ridge as he smirked and looked back at her.

"Ya know, I'm sure Uncle Don would _love_ to know who it is that's been hackin' into his computers anyways. Maybe we should go wake him up and tell 'im. Whaddya think, Chip?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan to me. Unless…Lane changes her mind, that is."

The pair watched as the color drained from the girl's face. The last thing she wanted was for her father to find out what she was capable of with a computer. It had taken her a long time to figure out the proper codes and sequences to get into his computers and the last thing she wanted to do was try to figure out all new ones.

Gulping, she set her tools down and stood up.

"Alright fine. But as soon as you two are out, I'm turning them back on. You'll have to use your training to get past them coming back in. If dad finds out I'm doing this…"

* * *

Tabby watched silently as her cousin Delaney used the family computer to hack into her father's system and loop the footage for their tunnel security cameras. As Chip and Chris started out the door, she smiled brightly and slipped out silently behind them.

It wasn't that she didn't take what happened to her father and uncles seriously, she did. In fact, it terrified her beyond words to think she'd almost lost him. But she had promised Andy the day they met that she would meet him in a near-by park that night so they could hang out and he could tell her all about the ghosts and goblins of their fair city. Since she had no way of getting in touch with him to say she'd suddenly been sentenced to house arrest, Tabitha figured going out for an hour or two wouldn't hurt anyone. Especially not since her mother and Aunt Angie were above ground working and her father and uncles were all sleeping. She'd be back before anyone knew she was gone.

Little did the three teenagers know, that at that very moment, Raph and Leo were perched on a rooftop just above the manhole they'd chosen to emerge from.

The two brothers were sitting on the ledge, engaged in a very rare civilized conversation, discussing the night before. Neither of them was quite sure what had happened or who these new ninjas were; all they knew was that the new gang was up to no good and could seriously kick shell—also that the leader seemed to believe _Mike _to be the leader for some reason.

It was as the pair talked about what they should do next time they encountered the new ninjas that the soft sounds of metal scraping pavement caught their attention. Glancing down into the alley, they watched as two shadow figures emerged and took off running towards the street. A moment later another figure emerged. This one looked around for a second before slinking off into the shadows and around the corner of a building; heading the opposite direction of the first two.

Not sure what was going on, or who those three mystery figures were, Leo motioned for Raph to follow the first two while he went after the third.

* * *

Shadow watched the scattered people moving from one side of the street to the other from her perch atop a street light. The sky was dark and overcast, giving her the perfect cover to sit and watch patiently for any sign of the turtles or their children to appear. She felt confident that if any or all of the turtles were to show up that night she would have no trouble taking each of them out personally.

Glancing down as two figures dressed in dark clothes went walking under her light perch, Shadow felt her hairs stand on ends. Those had been two halflings, she could feel it. Feeling a small smirk itch at her lips, she quickly covered the lower half of her face with her scarf once more before dropping to the ground without a sound.

Chip and Chris stopped dead in their tracks as a dark figure landed before them. The air around them quickly filled with anger and they could tell just from the way the figure was standing it was deadly and far from being happy.

"Whad da shell do you two t'ink yer doing!?" Raph exclaimed angrily as he stepped into a yellow circle of light in front of them.

Chris felt his heart drop when he realized it was his own father that caught them sneaking out and about.

"Just needed some fresh air, Uncle Raph." Chip answered as he shrugged and tried to walk past his uncle.

"You kids were told ta stay in da lair! Where da hell do ya's get off t'inkin' dat didn't apply ta ya's?!" Raph reached out and caught Chip by the back of his jacket as he walked by and half tossed him back in front of him. "Dere's a reason ya's weren't supposed ta leave, ya know?"

"Yeah, we know. Now ask us if we care." Chris answered, his eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Raph glared at his son angrily before looking at his nephew. He couldn't believe the nerve those two kids had. He'd just started to open his mouth to fire back his own smart-mouthed response when a figure dressed all in dark blue moved in behind the two teens. His anger towards the teens temporarily forgotten, Raph's lip curled in a snarl as his hands went to his sais.

"Get back down ta da lair." He growled softly, looking past the two boys.

Glancing over their shoulders both jumped and quickly spun to stand next to Raph.

"Dere's a manhole in dat alley. Go down it an' get back ta da lair." The grown turtle ordered, his sais drawn and ready. He could hear the sounds of cloth hitting the pavement and looked to see both his son and nephew standing there with weapons of their own drawn.

"We're not goin' anywhere, Dad."

"Yeah, we're gonna help ya."

No sooner had those words left Chip's mouth that Shadow sprung into action. For a time, it seemed the three turtles had the upper hand on the single ninja female. They each had managed to get in a few good hits here and there before Shadow had decided she was done playing games with them.

Striking out with her foot, Shadow connected with Chris' stomach causing him to double over in pain. In a move too fast to almost be seen, she grabbed the boy's shoulders and threw him hard into a near by building.

Raph watched as his son smashed into the brick wall before crumbling to the ground. Chris sat on the ground, clutching to his spinning and throbbing head. Looking to his right quickly Raph knew he had to get Chip back down to the lair before he too was thrown into a building, or worse—run through with one of the all too deadly weapons the kunoichi was wielding.

Growling low in his throat as he stepped between Shadow and his nephew, Raph blocked her sais with his own and shoved her back as hard as he could.

"Chip! Damnit! Get Chris outta 'ere! Get back down ta da lair! NOW!"

Without even a second thought, Chip grabbed his jacket, replaced his weapons and went to help his cousin back to his feet. He glanced over his shoulder as his still sore and wounded uncle did his best to keep Shadow occupied while the two boys moved quickly for the alley where a sewer cap was located. Shoving the heavy metal off of the opening, Chip waited for Chris to go down before dropping down after him.

Once Raph was certain both boys had made it into the sewers safely, he turned and bolted for the dark escape route he'd pointed out only moments before. Swearing under his breath as he felt darts bouncing off his hard carapace, he was glad the boys hadn't been within sight when Shadow began shooting them. Even the smallest prick of the poisonous needles could bring about their death. Pausing long enough to pull the cover back over the hole, Raph fell to the concrete platform and glared through the darkness towards the two teen boys.

Placing his sais back in his belt, the red banded turtle stepped up to the two and grabbed the back of their shirts, hauling them back to the lair just as he once did when they were far younger.

* * *

"Well, actually, it's believed that the Landmark Tavern on 11th Ave is haunted by a little girl and a Confederate Soldier. And at the skating rink in Central Park, there have been apparitions of two young girls seen skating figure eights." Andy said, smiling as he looked at his now terrified new best friend.

Tabitha gulped hard and tugged her jacket tighter around herself. The cold November air nipped at her nose and fingers and, on top of the stories Andy had just told her, chilled her straight through her jacket. She could feel chill-bumps prickling up her arms and the hair on the back of her neck start to rise. Giving a small shiver, the girl glanced over her shoulder half expecting to see a ghostly figure walking up the path towards them.

As her eyes swept the area carefully, she felt a yell of surprise escape her lips and her body leaving the ground as she leapt into the air and spun around. There behind her in the shadows stood her none too happy uncle, brown eyes gleaming out from the shadows in narrow slits.

"Un-Uncle Leo! What are—"

"Tabitha you were told not to leave home for any reason. You deliberately disobeyed us." He answered, sticking to the darkness so that Andy was unable to fully see him.

Tabitha gulped hard again, suddenly far more afraid of her uncle and father than any ghost or ghoul that could be roaming the area.

"Go home Tabitha."

"But Uncle Leo, I just wanted to—"

"GO!"

Giving Andy a small wave goodbye, Tabby started for the street, vanishing into the darkness as if she herself had been a mysterious apparition. Andy could feel the harsh glare of the man Tabitha had called her Uncle Leo and shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.

Gathering all his courage, the young boy smiled brightly and stepped forward, his hand outstretched in greeting.

"Um, good evening sir. I didn't know Tabby was grounded, sir, otherwise I would have told her we could get together another time. My name's Andy Jac—" Andy trailed off as he watched Leo turn and go off after Tabby.

Frowning and knitting his eyebrows together, the boy cautiously took off into the darkness after them, listening intently as the sound of a metal sewer cap moved back over the blacktop and gently clinked back into its resting place.

Tabby gulped softly and offered a sweet, innocent smile to her infuriated uncle. "Uh…heh heh…hi Uncle Leo."

His blood boiling, Leo glared hard at his oldest niece. Turning her around in front of him, he gave her shoulders a quick and sharp push to get her walking down the long and silent sewer tunnel back to their lair.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter posted. I had it just about finished the other day and then the power went out! _THEN_ when I re-wrote it, had all but the last paragraph finished and my friggin' computer just up and restarted itself out of nowhere! So I lost all of it again!! :beats head into computer desk: Luckily, I have it finally finished and here it is...safe and sound. So please enjoy and leave me feedback. Thankies!!**

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Chapter Ten: The Truth is Out

:Tabby's POV:

Ok, so going out after my dad and uncles told us not to wasn't exactly one of my better ideas, I admit that, I've come to terms with that, it's all good now. I know I did wrong, I've learned my lesson by it, so you'd think we could skip all the dramatics and just send me off to my room…right? I mean, really…what more punishment could they throw on me for sneaking out. Besides, I was only following Chris and Chip…they snuck out first.

It'd be just my luck that they'd get away with it too. Heh…that's ok…I'll show them. If they get away with it, I'll slip an anonymous note under Uncle Leo's door later tonight telling him what they did. That'll fix them.

Ya know, even though I knew I was in trouble and was probably marching back to the lair-of-death to be done away with, I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Chip and Chris getting their tails whooped for going out without permission. See? There is a slight advantage to being so bright and bubbly…I can weasel my way out of most any punishment. Well, any set by my dad or uncles…not so much my mom and aunts…come to think of it…my charm doesn't always work on Uncle Leo either.

Well that was obvious! I mean, I flashed my most charming and innocent grin at him and he still made me walk down the 'Green Mile'! Now that brings up an interesting thought. If we were accepted topside…what would our dad's do? Uncle Donnie would obviously be that mad scientist guy that most parents won't let their kids hang out with cuz they're afraid he'll invent some time machine and suck them back in time or something. I know dad always says he wanted to be a professional skateboarder but…I don't see that one much. Chef maybe…or possibly even as a voice over actor. Heh, can you just imagine my dad's voice coming out of some stupid animated character?! Uncle Leo and Raph though…I can somehow picture both as prison guards. Ya gotta admit it suites them!

I wasn't exactly tickled pink when Uncle Leo pushed me through the door to the lair. I bruise easily and there he was pushing and shoving me around. Oh well…in this house hold you get used to that kind of abuse. Don't have much choice on the matter really.

What _did_ make me smile was seeing Chip and Chris already seated on the couch, Chris with an ice pack on his head. HA! Busted! Again! And from the looks of it, Uncle Raph did more than just bust them for sneaking out. It looked like he busted their heads together too. Serves 'em right. It was about that time I saw the less than pleasant face of my Uncle Raph and knew we all were in major trouble.

"_She_ was da othah one ta sneak out?"

I cringed as I heard the shock and surprise in my uncle's voice. I was the golden child…I wasn't supposed to get into trouble. Heh heh…oops. I offered my ever-so-innocent smile to Uncle Raph as I plopped down on the couch next to my brother and cousin—both by the way looked insanely funny with looks of confusion on their faces.

Glancing over at them, I couldn't help but give a fake look of dulled interest and a small shrug before looking back at my uncles. It was really hard not to laugh at the looks everyone was giving me.

"You three deliberately disobeyed our direct orders to stay in the lair. Do you realize that order was put into affect to insure that nothing happened to any of you? What was so important that you felt it didn't apply to you?"

"Well, I was just following them. They snuck out first. And besides, I had to go meet up with—um…never mind." I gave a small nervous chuckle as Uncle Leo pinned me with one of his shuriken throwing stares. It's times like these where I wish it were possible for us to shrink into our shells. I should have known that was a rhetorical question.

For the next five minutes or so I was able to zone out on Uncle Leo's lecture and Uncle Raph's occasional outburst. Ever seen those old "Charlie Brown" cartoons where all the adults sound the same? "Wha-wha-wha-wha-whaaaaa…" That's exactly what my Uncles started to sound like after awhile.

It wasn't until my parents, Uncle Don, and aunts all came in to investigate what was going on that I started to somewhat pay attention and get nervous. I knew daddy wasn't going to be happy to hear I snuck out even though they all told us not to and had good reason for saying so. I could tell Chip and Chris were also starting to get nervous. It was about time those two started acting like teenagers and not jerks!!

"What's goin' on?" Aunt Julie asked as she cautiously stepped up closer to us.

"Dese three decided rules don't apply ta dem no more and snuck out jist ta go play up top!!"

"They _what_!?"

"Christopher Joshua Miller you are _so_ grounded!! No TV, no video games, no computer, no going out, no hanging out with Chip. Nothing! Nada! Zip zero zilch! Until…until…well…until I say so, that's how long!! You are gonna sit in your room and count the bricks until your eyes go—"

"Whoa…simmah Angie. I t'ink da kid gets da point. Trust me…I'll add my _own_ punishment ta dat in a little bit." Uncle Raph said as he placed a hand on my overly-worked up aunt's shoulder. It's really pretty amazing how fast my aunt can talk when she's upset. Not to mention how funny it is.

"Wait. You three snuck out? How did you get past all my security cameras?"

Ah…leave it to Uncle Don to question the method of our escape. Probably so confused as to how three teenagers got by his security system he's been perfecting since _he_ was a teenager. Poor 

Uncle Donnie, out smarted by his own daughter. Of course, _I_ wasn't going to rat Laney out though; Chip and Chris might…but I wasn't going to.

"Who helped you sneak out past all of your Uncle's security precautions?" Aunt Su asked as she stepped up next to Uncle Leo.

"No one." Chris mumbled as he stared down at the floor. Holy macaroni I had to seriously force my mouth to stay closed when I heard that. He wasn't going to rat Laney out either! Maybe Chris isn't such a bad guy after all.

Boy, I gotta tell ya though, the vibes in that room turned super bad when he said that though. None of the adults were buying that answer and I was starting to really want out of there just so none of them killed me with their looks of death.

"Like Shell no one did! You ain't dat good of ninjas yet ta be able ta sneak past Don's stuff an' get away wid it! Now who helped ya's?"

Not sure if what we did was incredibly brave…or just ridiculously dumb…but amazingly enough none of us answered Uncle Raph's demanding question. May not have been a smart move but hey, we may not always get along but none of us have _ever_ been known to rat out one of our own to our parents or aunts and uncles. We sure weren't gonna start now. Of course, if I thought the vibes in the room turned bad when Chris said no one helped us…I was so wrong. Us not answering them made the room fell like it was being dropped down to the 17th layer of inferno. Not a joyous feeling.

"Tabitha Lynn and Chip Douglas you two had better start answering your uncles or you're going to be in even bigger trouble than you are already in." Man I hated it when mom used our middle names in that flat and threatening tone of voice. That's by far the worst thing for us to hear. I glanced at Chip who was slumped down on the couch, his head on his hand, and looking none-too-thrilled for getting chewed out. Since he didn't make a move to answer, I decided it was best that I just kept my mouth-shut too (a hard thing for me to do, I know, but trust me…it is possible).

It was about that time that an insanely loud and shrill alarm started blaring through the lair. I was grateful for the distraction since it meant for the moment our lecture and punishment was put on hold, but then again I was also terrified. What if that thing that had attacked my dad and uncles had found us and were coming down to finish the job? What if they followed us? What if they were going to finish off the adults and then sell us kids off to crazy scientists so we could be poked and prodded and eventually killed?

Chip and Chris both sat straight up on the couch as Uncle Donnie and Uncle Leo moved for the monitor screen in his lab. My ribcage felt like it was going to break my heart was pounding so hard. I gulped quickly and shot a nervous glance at my mom. She didn't look to sure about anything either. We were sitting ducks! Fish in a bucket! Turtle Soup Walking! I could hear Uncle Leo and Uncle Don talking quietly though I couldn't hear what they were saying. Was that a good or a bad thing?

Finally Uncle Leo stepped back out and pinned me with a cold hard stare. I didn't like that look, it wasn't a very happy look.

"It seems your new friend is lost in tunnel three. Go get him before he falls into the drainage junction."

I couldn't have been more surprised if you told me I'd just been voted Miss Teen USA. Jumping off the couch, I bolted up the stairs and out into the tunnel. I could faintly hear Andy calling for me. Bouncing a little on the balls of my feet, I turned towards the sound and booked it down the tunnel. He was getting pretty close to the junction and the last thing I wanted was an Andy Soup for a friend.

It didn't take me long to find him considering I knew those tunnels better than anything else. I don't think he'd ever been so happy to see another living creature before in his life when I stepped up behind him with a small smile and raised eyebrow.

"Lookin' for someone?"

"Tabby!! What the—"

"C'mon. If you keep walking that way you're gonna become a ghost and I'll have to send someone out to investigate _you_!" I said as I turned and started back towards the lair.

Hey, since I technically by all rights wasn't allowed topside, I wouldn't have been able to make sure Andy got home safe and sound, right? So, I decided to bring him back to the lair with me. Besides, he'd already seen Uncle Leo and if he was smart enough to follow us down into the sewers he was bound to be smart enough to put two-and-two together and realize we weren't exactly 'normal'.

I listened and smiled as Andy told me about how terrifying it was down in the tunnels and how he'd gotten lost simply by taking one small side-step to avoid walking through water and forgot which way he'd been going. It was an easy thing to do down here if you weren't careful so I wasn't surprised when he told me about that.

What _did_ surprise me was the reaction he gave when I pulled down on that third pipe from the left and the brick wall split in two and opened into the main room of our humble little home. Instead of being horrified to learn that I lived in a sewer with my _entire_ family (the majority of whom just _happened_ to be turtles or turtle/human hybrids), he looked as if he'd died and gone to heaven! Of course my Uncles and Aunts weren't too happy to see I'd actually brought him home and not lead him back to the safety of an alley manhole cover, but oh well, tough beans.

"Oh my…Oh my God…you're…you're…you guys are…it's…I mean…it's really you!" He exclaimed his eyes as wide as pizza pans as he practically fell down the stairs to go and meet my dad and uncles.

"Who da heck is dis?"

"This is my friend Andy. Andy, this is um…that's my Uncle Raph, my Aunt Angie, that's Uncle Don, that's Aunt Su, this is my Aunt Julie, my Uncle Leo who you met up in the park, my mom Gwen, and my dad Mike." I answered as I forced myself to smile brightly and not sound nervous of my family's reaction to him.

"I know who you guys are! Well…I mean, obviously not all of you, but I've _heard_ about you turtles! I never thought I'd ever actually get to meet you though. My parents talk about you all the time!"

It's really funny the way things in life work out sometimes, ya know? As it turns out, my dad and uncles saved Andy's parents lives twenty-years prior. His mom had been pregnant with his twin older sisters and both she and her husband were on their way to the hospital when they got ambushed by thugs trying to rob them. The stupid punks had even pulled a gun on them and were threatening to shoot his mom if they didn't hand over every dollar, cent, and keys to their car.

That's where my dad and uncles came in. They dropped in out of nowhere, silent as shadows, and were able to chase the punks off and return the money and keys to Andy's parents. Through the course of all this happening though, Andy's mom started to faint cuz of the pain and stress and everything. So my Uncle Leo and Uncle Don stepped up to help Andy's dad place her safely in the backseat of their car and even went so far as to shadow them all the way to the hospital while my dad and Uncle Raph continued to patrol. Have I mentioned lately how great my family is?

Anyways, Andy's dad was kind of upset that he never got a chance to really properly thank my uncles and dad for saving their lives since they took off so fast—and plus his mind was too busy worrying about his wife and daughters. But, as it turns out, they named their daughters Donna and Leona in honor of my Uncle Don and Leo. How sweet and cool is that?!

It didn't take Andy long to somewhat weasel into the hearts of the adults. He was polite and he was totally awe-struck by getting to meet '_the_ turtles' in person. Hee hee. And because of all that, my mom thankfully stepped forward and suggested that he call his parents and let them know he was staying the night at a friends house since it was becoming late and my uncles and dad didn't want to risk another attack from who ever this evil force was.

I watched as Andy went to our pay phone and quickly dialed in his parent's number. I was kind of hoping that our punishment had been forgotten in light of us actually having company (other than Aunt April and Uncle Casey or Uncle Greg…they don't count…they're family), but sadly it wasn't. As I turned back to smile at my dad in admiration, I saw his look of disappointment and my smile fell.

"Tabitha, go to your room. We'll finish this in the morning." He said. I have never felt so ashamed and guilty in all my life as I did right then when I heard my daddy's voice so soft and disappointed in me. Gulping hard and glancing towards my brother and cousin, I sniffed back tears before turning to head for the stairs.

Aunt Angie moved past me with a pillow and blanket for Andy to use on the couch and didn't even offer me a small smile. I didn't even wait to say goodnight to Andy, I just shuffled off to my room and shut the door.

Ok, so going out after my dad and uncles told us not to wasn't exactly one of my better ideas, I admit that, I've come to terms with that, it's all good now. I know I did wrong, I've learned my lesson by it, all I want to do now is crawl into my shell and make like a rock.

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**One last thing. Andy's other sister's name is pronounced "Lee-Oh-Na" just in case anyone was curious as to how to pronounce that. Please don't forget to review. Reviews make me oh so very happy.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry to all of you who were expecting this chapter to be posted Friday night. It gave me far more trouble writing than I thought it would. I just couldn't seem to make it work and feel right. :Shrugs: Hope it's good now though...I stayed up until 6:30 this morning trying to finish it so I certainly hope it all makes sense. Also, wanna tell everyone who has already taken their finals for school that I hope you rocked socks and for those who haven't yet...I'm sure you will rock socks too!! Well...enough of rambles! Enjoy!**

**:WARNING!!: The end of the chapter gets a little graphic and dark. I've been trying to make this story get darker and more on the edgy side to kinda go into the original comic book feel. So you have been warned.**

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Chapter Eleven: Another Sleepless Night for Dean

:Delaney's POV:

I suppose it wasn't exactly fair that my cousin's got grounded for sneaking out when I was the one who had altered the cameras so that they could. I had meant to turn myself in…at some point in time…but then that Andy kid showed up and I decided maybe it was best to wait. Besides, why should I get punished for their stupidity?

The two weeks that passed from then to now have been the most peaceful of my life. Not to say I don't enjoy spending time with Tabby, because I do…Tabs is one of my bestest friends (and yes…I do know bestest isn't a word…but I don't care. It is to us and that's all that matters. So…nyah!), I just don't always enjoy Chip and Chris's company. They like to try and get me into trouble which means I have to go and try to get them in trouble and it just gets to be one big messy circle. Sure, sometimes it can be fun. Like one time, I painted Chris's shell magenta while he was asleep on the couch and he didn't even know it until he went to take a shower and saw the water changing color. Boy was he mad…heehee…I have never run so fast in all my life.

Our dads have still been trying to make us all practice and train, but for the most part we've all been too busy trying to figure out ways to get back at this mysterious ninja that seems to be after us. Even Casey has been having secrete meetings with the rest of us kids to discuss what we would do if anything like that (or Heaven forbid something worse) should happen to our dads again.

Every night for the past two weeks they've been going out for a couple hours at a time, I think probably just to get away from us kids for awhile and do some of their own 'training-runs'. So far they haven't come back any worse for wear, but it's still kinda nerve wracking when I hear them head out. True, they've healed pretty much ninety-percent of their wounds, but they still aren't one-hundred-percent and that ten-percent that they aren't healed is what keeps me up at night waiting to hear them come home.

Of course, not having mom here with me isn't helping matters much either. I wasn't exactly happy when she and Dean went up to the surface. I mean, I love my dad, there's no doubt about that—I could listen to him talk about nano-bots, microchips, motherboards, hard-drives, and molecular reconstruction all day but face it…a girl needs her mom too. It's pretty amazing how much I miss her and even Dean lately.

That's one thing I haven't figured out yet though. How dad and the other's are able to keep such a good watch on those ones up-top. I mean, I know dad installed his super custom security systems in both apartments and my brother and cousins are only allowed to go straight from the apartments to school and back again, but still. It's almost kinda creepy the way they're always being watched by at least one person. It's like that book, 1984. Creepy.

Now if only they'd use even a quarter of that creepy-I-am-watching-you-through-a-camera-ness on Tabby. Heehee. She may have gotten grounded but my girl is a sneak like me. She finds loopholes to groundings. She was told she wasn't allowed to go anywhere, no TV privileges, and had her shell cell and art supplies taken away. However, nothing had been said about any computer and internet privileges. So every night, she sneaks into my room for a couple of hours so she can talk to Andy and keep him updated on her grounding and what was going on down here. If Uncle Leo ever found out the type of information little miss 'TabbyKatTwin2' was giving to mister 'NuYooBoo' he'd pop a vein. She doesn't exactly give out horribly important information but enough of the right stuff that if in the wrong hands could potentially hurt us all.

I only slightly met Andy the morning after he spent the night as I was heading into the kitchen and he was being lead back out into the sewers so he could make it home again. He seemed nice enough but after what my dad and uncles have gone through in their lives and what I've heard about what can happen to us if we're found out about, I'm a little wary to trust him. Oh well…I suppose when the time comes we'll find out if we can trust him or not. For his sake, I truly hope we can.

:End Laney's POV:

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Dean sighed heavily as he sat on the couch in his aunt's rented apartment with his guitar on his lap and the sheet music he had found a few weeks prior on the coffee table before him. He'd finally been able to work some kinks out of a few of the songs—adding a verse here, a line there, removing this verse or that chorus—and was attempting to learn all the songs by heart so that he could put the music back where he had found it. His mother Julie had been doing her best to help him out, though since she couldn't see the words or notes written she wasn't much help to him.

He'd grown tired of sleeping in a bedroom that wasn't his own, far from the comforts of his drippy brick walls, the ever lingering scent of tea leaves and candles, and the sounds of his sister and cousins bickering on the opposite side of his shoji door. He missed his dad and getting to spend time writing songs with George when they both had some free time. He wanted to wake up in the mornings and go out to see Mitsu refusing to eat her breakfast. Most of all, he wanted to be able to just curl up in his room on his own bed and sleep while his mom and Aunt Angie took care of him while he wasn't feeling well. Anymore though, it seemed as if every few hours he had the urge to get sick all over the floor.

Feeling that urge creep up on him once more, he sighed again and run his tired and cramped fingers through his reddish-brown mop of shaggy hair. It was in serious need of a haircut but seeing as how none of his aunts or uncles were exactly skilled in the area of haircutting and making it look somewhat decent, he decided to keep it on the shaggy side. Besides, it wasn't _that_ long yet. It hadn't been trimmed for a few months and the back had just started to touch to collar of his shirts while his bangs were starting to inch down closer to the tip of his nose. Once his bangs reached down past his nose, he'd consider getting it trimmed again; but not until then.

Giving a small groan and closing his eyes, Dean carefully set his guitar on the couch next to him and moved to stand up. His head was throbbing and pounding and it hurt to even breathe. He'd never felt like that ever in his life—not even the time he was sick in bed with a horrible case of the flu for nearly two weeks when he was younger. Shuffling off towards the kitchen, he squinted at the bright lights and strained to see his mother's figure sitting at the table reading one of her brail copies of whatever novel she thought would be good that week.

"Mama? I don't feel good…I'm gonna go to bed." Dean said softly as he leaned heavily on the doorframe, sweat already beading down his brow and neck. "My…my guitar's on the couch…cl-closest to the…the…l-le-left side."

Julie lifted her head and frowned in concern. "Want me to call you're Aunt Su? You aren't sounding so hot."

"No…I just wanna go to…bed. G'nite Mama. Love you…" He answered softly before turning and heading off towards the bedroom he'd been given while they were staying there. Quietly closing the door behind him and keeping the light off, Dean fell face-first onto the bed still fully clothed in his blue jeans, 'Washington Central Elementary School' sweatshirt and sneakers.

_He didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep so quickly until he noticed he was no longer lying on the bed in his barrowed room. Instead, he found himself standing on the streets in an area he guessed to be in New York somewhere but wasn't sure where exactly. The streets were empty save for the few tumble-weed-like newspaper pages that whipped and thrashed in a whirlwind route past him. The street lamps above him cast their soft yellow cones down around him, each circle on the pavement separated by the darkness untouched by light. The age old buildings around him seemed to come alive as they shifted under their uncared for weight and groaned under the stress of holding up the chipping bricks and cracked plaster on only their bowed and splintering wood frames. The neighborhood had certainly seen better days and Dean felt sure that in its early years it was one of the prettiest and most well-kept areas of the city. However, time has a way of forgetting about even the most beautiful of places, turning them into war-zone-like dead zones such as that. _

"_My grandson," a calm and soothing voice broke through the deafening silence and cause Dean to jump and turn. From the shadows stepped an all too familiar figure dressed in his favorite red kimono, his boney hands clutching the jagged piece of wood that had been his 'best' walking-stick in life. _

"_Grandpa? Where are we?"_

_Splinter didn't answer as he stepped up to his grandson and placed a hand on his shoulder. Gently turning him, the pair started off the deserted streets towards a rather intimidating looking building._

"_You have been having restless nights, my grandson. That is not healthy. A growing boy such as you are requires their sleep at night. You have not had a good night's sleep for some time now and I am concerned for your well-being. You will not be able to help your family if you are unable to stand or move due to fatigue. "_

_Dean sighed heavily and nodded as he kicked at a rock on the ground. "I know…but…I keep having these nightmares, Grandpa. I'd been having the same one each night for awhile then all of the sudden little things would start to change. All of the sudden it went from me running down a dark alley being chased by something I couldn't see to me running down the alley being chased by guys in black, holding Mitsu, __and seeing a horrible fire burning someplace. And I went from only hearing myself panting and running to hearing screams of pain and metal hitting metal, and people yelling for someone to stop me." _

_Splinter nodded slowly to himself as he listened to his young grandson explain himself. The pair continued to walk down the street, drawing ever closer to the large and looming forgotten warehouse near the river._

"_And what do you feel these visions mean?"_

"_I don't know. I was kind of hoping you could tell me. I mean…I guess maybe they mean…" Dean sighed as he trailed off and shook his head. "I don't know Grandpa. I just know that they scare me beyond anything else and I can't ever fall back asleep afterwards cuz I'm too scared to close my eyes again. "_

_The wise old spirit gave a small and thoughtful nod as his whiskers twitched and ears flicked in thought. Splinter knew that Dean really did know the meaning behind his dreams but was too afraid of his own gift to accept the fact that he knew the message. It saddened him deeply to see one of his own grandchildren so unsure of their own special gift; to see that not even his own best student had taken the time to listen and help to guide the frightened young boy. _

"_Your first vision told you nothing more than death was going to come to your family, correct?"_

"_Yeah…I…I guess so."_

"_These visions you've been having now have been more detailed, slowly starting to show you the events that lead up to the horrible deed. You running down the dark alley being chased by an unknown factor could perhaps show that no one is sure of what the family is going up against; running blind from a force unseen. "_

"_Ok…so, what about the new stuff though? Seeing things and hearing stuff? What about that?" Dean questioned as they approached the building and paused for a moment. _

_Turning to face his grandson, Splinter's eyes relieved the answer Dean had feared. "What you have been seeing there is the how and where it will be taking place. Now it is time to find out whom it is done by." _

_Dean gulped hard as he looked at the door before him and saw the very same black clad men who had been chasing him in his prior dream. Heart racing and palms sweating, he frantically began searching for a way out._

"_They…they're gonna see us, Grandpa. We gotta get out of here."_

_Silently, the rat took his grandson's hand and led him completely unnoticed past the guards and into the dank and musty building. Without a word, he led the way to a room on the far end of the empty building and stopped short. His ears flattened against his head and his black eyes slightly squinted, Splinter put a steal like hold on Dean's shoulder before they entered the room._

_Cowering in a corner, hands tied together and bound around their strapped ankles, were two teens. Their shoulders shook and heaved as they tried to keep from crying anymore than they already were. Dean felt his body go numb as he stared at the pair, a boy and a girl. Though both were huddled close together with their heads bent, Dean knew exactly who they were. He wanted to turn and run. He wanted to cry out to the boy with reddish-brown hair and the girl who at one point in time had long black hair. _

_The boy with the reddish-brown hair was curled up in as small of a ball as he could form against the girl. Her hair now shaved and lying in a disheveled pile around her and though her mouth was taped shut, her bright brown eyes showed the pain and torture she was going through. Dean heard a choked up whimper come from the boy and it was then that he noticed the poor boy's ears had been burned close and his eyes sewn shut. _

_Dean felt his stomach lurch towards his throat as his knees began to buckle. Why was he being shown this? He didn't want to see any of it! He didn't want to see anything! He wanted to wake up from his new nightmare and never close his eyes again. He wanted to beg and plead with his parents to move the family far, far away from New York. The last thing he wanted was to be taken by the unknown force and have his ears burned close. To him, not being able to hear his music or the sound of his mother singing ever again would be a fate worse than death. _

_Just then a door to his left opened and the two ghost-like guests watched as a woman dressed all in dark blue entered the room. The air around them hissed and snapped with negativity and Dean saw his own step-cousin Liz tense and straighten ramrod stiff as she tried to put herself between the newcomer and the boy. _

"_Your family is never going to come to save you. Neither of you are of any use to them. You are both inferior to them and the rest of their mutant offspring. You have been tossed to the side and left for dead, such as I was seventeen years ago. Tell me what I want to know about them and their weaknesses and I will make sure that they realize they are truly the inferior ones." _

_The woman's voice was cold and harsh in its own melodic way. Though her face was nothing but a blur to him, Dean could tell that she was probably very pretty—if she weren't so evil, that is. _

_Liz narrowed her eyes and tried to shoot her own hot-tempered comments back at the newcomer, though they were all muffed by the duct tape across her mouth. Growling, the newcomer reached out and grabbed the boy out from behind Liz. Pulling a small blade from her belt, she held it to his throat and slowly began to press and glide it across his skin._

"_You will tell me or he will die. Tell me their weaknesses so that they might know how powerful their reject has become. Dark Shadow will have her revenge upon your family; and if killing you both is what it will take to get them to show themselves, so be it."_

_Dean screamed out in horror as he watched the blade sink into his neck and the gush of hot red liquid spurted from the wound and—in a sight reminiscent of a waterfall—cascaded down his chest while his body fell to the floor in a gargling and gasping heap. _

Donatello and Leonardo's heads shoot up quickly as the sounds of screaming and sobbing erupted from Dean's bedroom. In one fluid movement each, both grown turtles left their places at the kitchen table where they had been sitting with Julie drinking coffee and talking quietly and bolted into the boys' room. Sweat drenched his clothes and hair as he thrashed about on the bed, grasping at his neck as if he were quickly running out of air.

"Dean!? Dean wake up, buddy. You're ok. Wake up, Dean. It's me…dad. Concentrate on my voice Dean. Open your eyes and wake up. C'mon Dean…open your eyes. You're having a bad dream." Don coaxed, his hands planted firmly on his son's shoulders to keep him from thrashing himself right off the bed. Leo quickly moved to the bathroom and came back a second later with a cold damp cloth in his hands. Placing it on the bed, the two adults continued to watch and coax the boy.

"Dean…concentrate on my voice, this is your Uncle Leo, use your training. I'm going to count to five slowly, keep concentrating on my voice and by the time I get to five, I want you to open your eyes." Leo stated his voice calm and collective though inside he was terrified that his nephew was trapped in a nightmare so harsh that it refused to release him from its grasp.

As Leo slowly began his count from one to five, Julie stepped into the doorway and bit her lip. Though she couldn't physically see her son, she could sense his pain and turmoil and it broke her heart that she was unable to do anything to help him.

Slowly, with each number, Dean began to breathe normally and his hands fell back to his sides limply; his thrashing and sobbing slowly ending as well. By the time his uncle had reached the number five, Dean had opened his salt-water-soaked eyes, their color having changed from bright to almost hunter green. Giving a small smile, Leo gently placed his hands on Dean's forehead and did his best to help the boy fall back into a far more peaceful trance like state in hopes of allowing him some rest that night.

"Don? That was his fifth nightmare this week. He's had at least two a night for the past couple of nights. I'm starting to think he's not really going to sleep most nights, he's just cat-napping because he's too scared to fall into a deep enough sleep to dream." Julie said softly from the doorway, the concern for her son evident in her voice.

Knitting his eye ridges together, Don gently brushed the soaked clumps of hair away from their little boy's eyes and glanced at Leo who seemed to be deep in thought. Looking at his purple clad brother and sister-in-law, his face turned to one of stone determination.

"Perhaps it's time to find out what these nightmares have been about and start to take them dead seriously."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I sadly don't own the movie "Back to the Future: Part Three" well...technically I do own it I just don't own the rights to it. But yeah...that's besides the point.**

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long...first I couldn't get myself to write it then when I did get four pages written the disc I had it saved on screwed up on me...again...and deleted all the pages! :cries: But...hopefully this version of the chapter is better than the old one. So...enjoy it!!**

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Chapter Twelve: The Real Life Nightmare Begins

Dean trembled as he sat in his bed, carefully recounting his dreams to his father and uncle two hours later. He was careful not to leave anything out and made sure to tell them everything from time of day to what words had been said and to whom. His tiny shoulders shook as tears strolled down his puffy red cheeks. It was bad enough to have to go through those dreams once but it was even worse once he had to tell them out loud. What he hated most though was the way his uncle and father pretended not to be perturbed by any of it. In reality however, both adults were greatly troubled by what they heard coming from the nine-year-old boy.

His dreams had been so vivid and real to him and it was clear to see just how badly they were affecting both his physical and mental health. To see his son so distraught over the thought of having to go to bed made Donatello's heart break. All he wanted to do was gather Dean in his arms and tell him things would be alright. That was not an option however when in all actuality, Don didn't know if things would be alright or not. Their first encounter with Dark Shadow had not ended in favor of the four brothers and from the sounds of Dean's nightmares the odds against them wouldn't be improving any time soon.

Once Dean had finished retelling his latest nightmare, Don pulled his son into his arms and tightly held him against his plastron. He felt the warm salty tears roll down his chest as the boy wrapped his arms around him and held him for dear life.

"Shh…it's ok Dean, I've got you. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise." Don said softly, carefully trying to smooth out the soggy mop of reddish-brown hair atop his son's head.

Dean sniffled loudly and tightened his hold on his father. He wanted to believe him, but in his heart he knew the truth…there was nothing they could do to keep his dreams from happening; all they could do is prolong the inevitable. Gulping hard and giving a small nod, Dean nuzzled his face into his father's chest and clamped his eyes closed.

"Dean? Your dad and I need to get back down to the lair now. You need to try and get some sleep; you're making yourself sick from lack of sleep." Leo placed his large three fingered hand on his young nephew's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Reluctantly pulling back, Dean looked up at his father with his green eyes brimming with more tears. He didn't want to be left alone and he most certainly did _not_ want to go back to sleep. Forcing himself not to cry, the boy solemnly nodded before lying back down on his barrowed bed. He watched tearfully as his father and uncle started for the door. Tugging the blankets back up under his chin, he sniffled once more and tried hard to blink back his tears.

"G-g'night Dad…g'night Uncle Leo…I…I love you guys."

Don stopped in the doorway and placed a hand on the arch as he turned back to look at his son. He hated how small and frail the boy appeared to be tucked in under his thick supply of blankets and comforters. Sweat still glistened on his forehead and continued to claim strands of hair to be plastered to his clammy pale skin.

"Goodnight Dean. We love you too." Don answered softly; trying hard to offer him a reassuring smile before the pair quietly closed his door and stepped out into the living room.

Julie had fallen asleep on the couch some time before and Don couldn't help but give a small smile as he watched her gentle breathing. Glancing back at his brother, Don quietly moved towards the couch.

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up in a minute." He whispered before kneeling down next to the couch.

Leo gave a small smile and nod before he silently disappeared out the open window and up onto the roof where it was dark and he could wait for his brother to finish saying goodnight to his wife.

Don reached out and gently ran his fingers through her soft curls before leaning down to kiss her head. She stirred ever so slightly at his touch but remained asleep. After whispering a quiet goodnight and words of affection to her, Don kissed her head one more time before stepping through the open window and out onto the fire escape. Quietly and carefully closing the window, he turned and ascended up to the roof where Leo stood waiting.

As the brothers made their way across the rooftops, they quietly discussed Dean's nightmares and struggled to figure out how to best avoid bringing them into effect. Don couldn't help but remember a line from a movie he had always enjoyed growing up called "Back to the Future: Part 3". At the end of the movie Doctor Brown told Marty McFly and his girlfriend something that for some reason had always stuck with him even after all those years. "Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one." Knowing full well that what the fictitious doctor in that movie had said was true, Don swore to himself that he would make sure his family's future was a bright, long, and happy one.

Once the two brothers made it back down to the sewers, Leo paused and turned to face his purple clad brother. The chill from the early December air above seeped through the concrete walls and hung around them like a heavy blanket causing them to see their breath with each exhale. Sighing heavily, Leo felt the all too familiar weight of the world landing on his wary shoulders.

"Maybe it's time to pull them back down to the lair. It's getting too dangerous up there and we can't keep an eye on them nearly as well as I had hoped we'd be able to." He said looking his brother in the eyes.

"That's a good idea to me."

"Good. Let's go wake up the other four and let them know we'll be bringing them back down so they can help get the kids quietly to their rooms and put things away."

* * *

Elizabeth Young sighed as she tugged the collar of her jacket up higher around her face. She'd never been much for cold weather and lately she seemed to dislike it even more. The sights and sounds of Christmas had only added to her latest annoyance as she walked down the cold empty streets of her old neighborhood.

She could remember a time when she was more than happy to welcome the early arrival of brightly colored lights around windows and porch pillars, when she would sit in the parlor of their warm cozy home watching the feather like snow flakes drift lazily to the streets and sidewalks below. The first snow of each year, her father took her outside with him to make snow angels and snowmen in the front lawn. Then, the week before Christmas, they would cram into their car and drive the two hours outside City limits to a small tree farm where they would chop down the perfect Christmas tree and then decorate it in popcorn and cranberry garland, glittering snowflakes, crystal icicles, and blue and white lights. Her father had always made sure that Christmas morning they woke up to a parlor full of pretty wrapped presents of all shapes and sizes.

Wrapping her coat tighter around herself, she quickly wiped at her eyes as she wondered how many of her old friends and playmates still lived their happy pampered lives in those brownstone homes and how many of them would snub their noses at her for what she had become and where she'd been forced to move to. If it hadn't been for Leo, she would still be able to be around normal people and live a normal life. True enough that he had been the only father her brothers had gotten to know and he tried his hardest to be a good father to them, but to Liz it didn't really matter. She hated the way he always looked out for them and always made them practice his stupid ninja stuff.

Shaking her head, Liz sighed heavily as she paused just outside the house she had known so well growing up. It looked exactly as she remembered it. A curious part in her wanted to go and knock on the door and ask to look around so she could see just how badly things had changed inside while a furious part wanted nothing more than to storm up the steps and demand whatever family was living there to leave immediately and give her back her home.

As she stood there, staring up at the windows that once belonged to her and her brothers, the front door opened and a young man stepped out clad in dark winter clothes, a camera and a voice recorder. A memo book and pen stuck out of his back pocket and a black baseball cap sat atop his head. A pair of thin framed glasses was in his hands as he closed the door behind him and quickly placed them back on the bridge of his nose. Taking a quick glance at the book in his hands, he looked back up and smiled politely at Liz.

Groaning and rolling her eyes, Liz turned and started back off down the street. The last thing she wanted was to have to talk to anyone.

"Hey! Hey wait a second!" The boy called as he ran down the front steps and out onto the sidewalk, clutching tightly to his equipment as he ran to catch up. Grumbling under her breath, Liz shook her head as she shoved her hands in her pockets and continued down the street.

"Wait…you're Liz right? Tabitha's cousin? Yeah! Yeah you are! Hi! I'm Andy, Andy Jackson. I'm Tabby's friend." He said, smiling brightly as he held out his hand to her.

"How do you know who the hell I am?" Liz questioned, her voice laced with aggravation.

"Oh…uh…heh…she sent me a family picture of you guys since I didn't get a chance to meet everyone the night I stayed over." He blushed and smiled shyly as he thought about how silly he had felt when he had asked Tabitha a few nights before while they had been online for a picture of her that he could put into his digital photo album. That family photo had been the only one she had had access to at the time.

"Where are you going? It's nearly one o'clock…shouldn't you be at home or something?" Andy asked, bouncing slightly as he walked in order to try and keep up with her strides.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you following me?"

Andy smiled brightly and shrugged as he held up his book and camera. "I'm going ghost hunting…or at least going to try and you just happen to be going the same direction I had planned on going."

Rolling her eyes again and picking up the pace a little, Liz sighed as she tried to shake the annoying teen next to her. There was something about him the rubbed her the wrong way, but given the fact that he seemed to be about as bright and bubbly as her cousin that didn't come as much of a surprise to her. Shaking her head in aggravation, she stole another glance to him before looking back ahead of her.

"Ghost hunting? In New York? Right…whatever. How old are you anyways? Fourteen? Fifteen?"

"Seventeen actually, I'm just small for my age; always have been." Came his slightly embarrassed response.

Liz nodded and felt the hairs start to prickle on the back of her neck. She knew that feeling all too well. Someone or something was following them and if she wasn't carefully Tabby's new best friend could find himself seriously injured.

"Yeah well…ok whatever. Go do your ghost hunting thing." She said in an honest attempt at doing the right thing and getting him as far away from her as possible.

Andy frowned slightly but continued to keep up with her none-the-less. "Why don't you like your step-dad? He seems pretty nice and from what I've been told he's pretty cool when it comes to Karate."

"Ninjitsu…he's a ninjitsu master. And why do most kids dislike step-parents? Now get lost."

"Ya know, Tabby's told me a lot about you. She really looks up to you in a strange kinda way."

_Good God in Heaven above doesn't this kid __**ever**__ shut up and get the hint!?_ Liz grumbled in her head as she stopped walking and spun to face him. With his hat covering his hair and given that his height wasn't much taller than five-foot-three, the boy held a slight resemblance to her cousin Dean. Quickly shaking that thought from her head, Liz frowned and grabbed him by his arm.

"Look…I'm not in the talkative kind of mood tonight. So why don't you just go round up some spooks and ghouls or something and get the hell away from me!"

Andy blinked a few times as he glanced from his arm to her face before slowly and carefully tugging his arm back. She certainly did seem to be just as cantankerous as Tabitha had claimed she was. All he had wanted to do was talk to her. Their family intrigued him more than any ghosts or goblins running around New York City ever could. And given his family's background and current social status, the boy had few friends and even fewer people to talk to. Giving a small nod as he tugged the sleeve of his jacket back down, he took a tighter hold of his voice recorder and took a step back.

"Alright…it was a pleasure meeting you, Liz. Tell Tabby I said hi and that I'll talk to her later."

"Yeah ok whatever just get the Hell out of here!!"

Liz watched as Andy turned to leave and twelve or more black clad ninjas fell from seemingly nowhere around them. _Oh I so do not need this right now_, Liz thought as he pulled her sais from the inner pockets of her jacket. Flipping them around in her hands, she took a defensive stance and narrowed her eyes at the ninjas who would quickly moving in on them.

Andy's heart stop when he saw the men drop down around them. They certainly didn't look like any of Liz's family members and given the way she pulled her weapons out of almost thin air, she didn't trust them either. Gulping hard, the teen took a few steps closer to Liz and held tightly to his camera and voice recorder.

"Get to the nearest sewer cap and go down. Don't stop running until someone comes out to get you." Liz said, her voice low and flat as she eyed her opponents.

"H-how do you know someone will?"

"JUST DO IT, DAMNIT!!" Liz exclaimed as she shoved him away from her a second before the first unfortunate ninja made his move to attack. Spinning quickly and driving the tip of her sai into the man's back, she felt bile rise in her throat as he gave a choked up cry before falling limp on the ground before her.

Realizing she didn't have enough time to fully comprehend that she'd just killed a man, she pulled the sai back and around to go after the next to approach. Putting her mind into the set that it was just like the practices she was forced to do with her cousins in the lair, her eyes narrowed as she began putting all her weight into her kicks and thrusts.

Andy watched in awe for a moment as the gothic looking girl before him leveled two more ninjas before pinning him with a threatening glare. Getting the point, he turned and quickly started for a nearby alley where he was sure a sewer cap would be located. As he rounded the corner, head bent for just a moment to make sure he hadn't dropped anything, he felt his body collide with a much taller and brick-like body in front of him. Without even enough time to look up to see who or what he'd just slammed into, Andy felt a sharp pain on the top of his head before the world went completely black around him and he fell limply into the arms of the waiting ninja.

Liz fought off as many of the insect like ninjas as she could before she saw Andy's legs get pulled into the darkness of a nearby alley. Spinning to kick yet another black clad man, she quickly turned to go running after him. She couldn't let an innocent get hurt just because he was dumb enough not to listen to her the first time she told him to leave her alone.

Ignoring the other ninjas, Liz raced to the end of the alley and looked around. They had to have taken him down that way but yet they were nowhere in sight. Scanning the area quickly, Liz struggled to determine which way they could have gone and what they could have done to him. As she stood there, searching her mind for possible ideas a lone and silent ninja glided up behind her. Raising the hilt of his katana, the ninja brought it down hard and fast upon her head rendering her unconscious instantly.

* * *

Usagi watched with a smug smirk plastered on his face, his arms folded over his chest, as the two teens before him began to re-awake and rub the sore spots on their heads. To his right stood his first prize taken from the turtle clan, her long black hair pulled tightly into a whip like braid and eyes narrowed as she glared harshly at the pair.

True her ninjas had finally seemed to do something right for a change, but she for some reason still found no satisfaction in that. Shadow knew that she would not be truly happy until she saw the last of the turtles and their families lying dead upon the floor. Glancing to her master, the kunoichi turned and moved to stand in the room before the two blinking teenagers. Looking them both over for a moment, she felt fairly sure that for once her ninjas accomplished their mission successfully. As the boy before her though, lifted his eyes to look upon her in fear and confusion, Shadow felt her pride in her clan vanish.

"You do not have green eyes." She stated quite bluntly, pinning him with a disgusted glared. Andy made a face of more confusion as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head more.

"No…I have blue eyes like my mom. What's going on here?"

"Are you of any relation to the turtle clan this _thing_ is a part of?" Shadow asked, not bothering to answer Andy's question as she nodded curtly towards Liz.

"What? No. My name's Andy Jackson…I'm not—"

Dark Shadow felt her blood instantly boil as she learned the boy before her was not of turtle blood. Her ninjas really couldn't do anything right without her. Turning quickly, her hair whipping around behind her, she stormed from the room in search of the one she had entrusted to get the job done and done right. _You have failed me for the last time…_

Curling his lip up in disgust as well, Usagi turned to leave the room. Pausing for a moment, he looked to the two ninjas guarding the door and then back to the teens.

"Put them somewhere dark until they are needed." He said before turning to leave.

Liz heard Andy gulp hard next to her and couldn't help but feel a gulp of her own slide down her throat. She really did not like the sound of things. As the two ninjas approached her, she quickly reached for her sais only to realize they had been taken from her. Left weaponless and her head hurting too much to try for hand-to-hand combat, Liz merely watched nervously as the each told hold of them. Arms pulled roughly behind their backs so as not to be able to get away, both were pulled to their feet and shoved towards the door.

"I've got a very bad feeling about this…"

Liz nodded slightly as her fear worked itself into a frenzy. _You took the words right out of my mouth, man._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Missing

Leonardo, followed closely by his three younger brothers, ran over the darkened rooftops as silently and gracefully as he would when he was still a teenager. Upon returning to the lair and waking Raph and the other adults, it was decided it was in the best interest for everyone if the others were brought back down to the lair immediately.

Heading to Ying-Su's apartment first, they quickly dropped down onto the fire escape and waited as Leo carefully opened the window and stepped through first. It was no where near as extravagant as their old brownstone home, though shabby it certainly wasn't. A pleasant, three bedrooms, and one bath apartment it served its purpose as a temporary home from time to time quite nicely.

Stepping up next to the first door to his left, Leo lifted a finger to his beak to indicate his need for silence as he quietly opened the bedroom door and peeked in. Lying in bed, curled up against her mother, was an adorable five-year-old girl clutching her favorite blue blanket, her oversized thumb shoved in her mouth as she slept. Giving a small smile to himself, Leo cautiously stepped into the room and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Su? Wake up, Su. You and the kids need to come back home now." He said softly, gently shaking her shoulder.

Giving a small groan and grumble in her sleep, Ying-Su sleepily rolled over to face the person who dared to wake her from her dream. Opening her eyes into narrowed slits, she waited for her eyes to adjust before opening them fully and sitting up in bed.

"Leo, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"Shh…you and the kids need to come home right now. I'll explain once we get home. Don't bother packing anything, my brothers and I will come back up tomorrow night and get your things." Leo answered as he moved for the opposite side of the bed to carefully scoop their sleeping daughter up into his arms.

Mitsu whimpered in her sleep as she snuggled down into her father's strong arms and continued to slumber. Moving into the living room with her, Leo made sure to wrap her tightly in her blanket to keep her warm on their journey out into the cold air. Ying-Su quickly tugged her shoes and jacket on before starting for the door her oldest daughter was to be sleeping behind. Raphael and Michelangelo had already roused the two boys from their sleep and ushered them into the living room where Don did his best to help them into their shoes and coats.

"Lizzie, honey wake up, we're going back home." Ying-Su said as she moved for the bed at the far end of the room. When no sounds or movement came from the bed, she sighed and tugged the blankets down some.

"Elizabeth, wake up. We're…Elizabeth?" Eyes going wide in horror, Ying turned and rushed back out into the living room. "I can't find Elizabeth. She's not in her room."

Looking over from their places by the window, Leo and his brothers stopped what they were doing to look at her in surprise.

"Whaddya mean she ain't in 'er room?" Raph questioned, trying to be quiet so he didn't wake his sleeping niece.

"I mean, she's GONE! Her bed didn't even look like she'd slept in it at all tonight! I don't know where she went."

"Calm down, Su. Raph and I are going to take you and the kids back home and once you four are settled in we'll come back up to look for her." Turning to Don and Mike, Leo pinned them both with a look of leadership they both knew all too well. "Don, you and Mike get over to Julie's and get her and Dean down to the lair as quickly as you possibly can. Raph and I will meet you there and then head out to search for Liz."

"You got it, Leo." The pair chimed as they ducked out the window and back out into the chilly early December air.

Both younger brothers ran silently along the alleys and rooftops in an effort to make record time from one apartment to the other. They both knew how much Elizabeth meant not only to Ying-Su but also their oldest blue clad brother. True, Leo had a hard time showing his feelings towards the sixteen-year-old but she was doing her best to make things even harder for him. Leo had tried to take the girl in under his wing and be there for her as much as any of his brothers were for their kids; however Liz wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. It had been hard for him but with time Leo learned to use the same sort of calm unfazed-by-her-rebellion tactics he had used with Raph when they were teens.

Reaching the darkened apartment, Mike dropped down onto the fire escape ladder first while Don landed silently on the platform. Julie was still sleeping peacefully on the couch inside and Don half wished he didn't have to disturb her or their –hopefully sleeping—son. Sighing heavily, he pushed the warped old wooden window up carefully before stepping in, followed by Mike who smiled softly at his wife's rented little apartment.

"D-Daddy? Is…is that you?" A timid and tired voice questioned from the armchair across the room. Don felt his shoulders drop noticeably as he heard his son's voice call out to him.

"Dean, go get your coat and shoes on, you guys are coming home." Don said softly as he moved to wake his sleeping wife. Dean's bottom lip trembled as he struggled to push himself up off the couch and out from under his heavy blankets.

Mike, noticing the boy's difficulty, quickly headed for where his sneakers were located before plopping himself down on the floor to untie them and loosen them enough to slide on easily. Pulling the boy into his lap carefully, Mike reached down and began to gently push the faux white and black leather sneakers onto Dean's feet before grabbing his oversized jacket off the wall over his head and helping to guide his arms in through the stubborn holes.

Don knelt down next to the couch and placed his large hand on his wife's shoulder once again that night. This time giving it a few shakes, he waited to hear her voice before he spoke.

"Hey Jules, c'mon…Leo said you and Dean need to come back down to the lair pronto."

"Donnie? What's going on? What time is it?"

"A little after two. We haven't got much time, honey. Mike and I need to get you two back home quickly. We have to help Leo and Raph look for Liz." Don said as he quickly helped Julie sit up and get her shoes and coat on also.

"Liz is missing?"

"She's not missing…we just can't find her." Mike answered as he carefully picked Dean up figuring that carrying the sickly young boy would be faster than trying to make him run and keep up. Julie tilted her head slightly and couldn't help but give a small giggle. She knew she could always count on Mike to get specific to the point of humorous for a serious subject such as a missing child.

"C'mon, we got to get going."

When the brothers returned to their subterranean home, Angela and Guenevere were already awake and getting things ready for the return of their other family members. As each tired child stumbled into the lair, both women made sure they made it back to their rooms safe, sound, and quietly so they didn't risk waking the others.

Once they were sure their families were safe once more, Leo led his brothers back to the streets in search of the missing girl. He had been trying to reach her on her cell phone since the moment he and Raph had gotten Ying and the kids to the roof but had not had much luck. They had to find Liz before anything serious happened to her.

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Ying-Su stood in the doorway to her daughter's room. Months earlier the teen had managed to sneak black paint into the lair and into her room which she promptly used to change her walls from the drab brownish-red brick to dark and foreboding black. It broke her heart to see Liz change from her sweet little girl into a hateful and angry young woman. She had tried so hard to make things work between her daughter and Leo though in the end Ying knew it would never happen; Elizabeth missed her father far more than anything else in the world and her longing for her real father ate away at her heart every minute of every day. Ying had fool-heartedly felt that the arrival of little Mitsu would bring the two closer instead it only added fuel to Liz's fire towards Leonardo.

Stepping into the dark room, Ying felt her breath catch in her throat as she moved for the small dresser a beautiful antique porcelain doll sat on, staring blankly off across the universe. Picking the doll up and clutching it to her chest, Ying-Su gulped hard as tears welled up in her eyes. Leo had risked his life to help protect Liz all those years before and now he was once again doing his best to locate her before anything could possibly happen to her.

"Susie? Hey…why don't you come out into the kitchen with me and Gweny? We'll make you some tea or something." Angie said softly, her hand resting on the doorframe as she looked in on her sister-in-law. Ying turned quickly and wiped away her tears, still clutching to the doll.

"What if something's happened to her, Angie? I…I don't know what I would do if anything happened to my little girl."

"Aw Suzu…Leo won't let anything happen to Liz. You know as well as we all do how much he cares for her…even if she does resent him for no real reason and he tries to treat her like he couldn't care less about her but hey, that's Fearless for ya!" Angie answered a bright and playful smile on her face that didn't quite reach her tired green eyes.

"But…what if something already _has_ happened to her?" Ying-Su questioned her heart and stomach twisting and turning in anxiety.

"Then good ol' Leo will track down whoever did it and make sure they pay ten folds for whatever they did. But…nothing has happened to her yet so you shouldn't be worrying about things that you think have happened that haven't happened that you think have happened yet."

Ying-Su blinked blankly at Angela once or twice in confusion before shaking her head. "How does Raph keep up with your strange way of saying things? Or worse…how do those poor high school students keep up?"

Angela smiled brightly and shrugged in response. "Simple! Raph usually cocks an eye ridge at me, pats my head and walks off. And my students are usually so stoned or something that I actually make sense to them. I dunno. I have trouble keeping up with myself sometimes. It's tiring being me. C'mon…Gwen will make you some tea."

Giving a small nod and moving to follow Angie back out into the main part of the lair and then down to the kitchen, Ying couldn't help but feel the nerves working in over time; churning her stomach and making her heart beat wildly as her mind tried to process all the different things that could have happened or possibly could still happen to her oldest daughter. _Don't worry about it, Su…Leo will find her and bring her safely home just like he did when she was six. He'll walk through that door any minute now, holding my little girl safe and sound. He'll find her…I hope._


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Hi again everyone! :looks around at probably empty room: Oops...um...ok...guess I was gone too long again. :coughs nervously: Ok then...well...for those of you still around, I have once again returned with a new chapter for your reading pleasure! Hopefully it'll live up to everyone's expectations and doesn't put anyone to sleep. I just finished reading it again and realized...it's not at all that horribly exciting :frowns and looks chapter over again: Nope...not much excitement. I'm sorry...but hey! Look at it this way! The next chapter is going to be NOTHING BUT excitement!! (Sneak Peak: NTs meet up with DS again :Grins ebilly:). **

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter. This is the first time EVER that I used someone other than my best friend to beta my chapters (she's a bit biased but I wubble her anyways :huggles bestest friend Meggie:). So yeah...let me know if you like it or not so I can decide if I want to have anymore chapters actually proofed or not :giggles and huggles Saralinda for the proofing of it:**

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Chapter Fourteen: Small Victories

Dark Shadow stood silently atop her warehouse headquarters staring out upon the orange -pink glow illuminating from the bright city lights of Manhattan. She could feel those vile creatures out there somewhere searching for her. With the capture of the oldest daughter their quest to find and destroy Dark Shadow was almost as great and hateful as her own to do away with them.

Her master had told her not to go out seeking the turtles but rather to stay one step ahead of them, leaving calling cards to discover along the way. Though she hadn't been happy to hear that she was supposed to avoid any further confrontation with the turtles, she did as was told of her and sat idly by while her ninjas wrecked havoc on the city for her.

To say she wasn't thrilled to discover her ninjas had supposedly returned with two of the turtles' children would be a lie. She hadn't been more elated in her life; knowing the pain she had just caused their family by taking those two was the closest she had ever come to knowing true happiness.

However, when she discovered the boy was not the same one they had been following closely a few weeks prior her anger and disappointment were enough to make her track down Nicolette, whom she had put in charge of the ninjas' latest run. Her most trusted advisor and the only 'friend' Dark Shadow had ever known, Nicolette had turned to offer the teenage girl a small smile and bow. Instead, without time to even give a greeting, Dark Shadow drove the razor-sharp points of her sai into the twenty-two year old woman's chest and snarled. She watched as Nicolette's eyes widened in surprise and pain, her hands reaching out to grip the sleeve of the arm that held the sai buried deep in her chest. Gasping in pain, the woman gave one last gargled gasp before falling limp onto the cold concrete floor, crimson blood pooling around her lifeless body.

Shadow had wanted to do the same thing to the two teens held in captivity in the dark room, but she knew it would not sit well with her master so she was forced to refrain from harming them just yet. They were still useful to the ninja army; the two had answers and information about the turtles that Shadow was determined to get out of them no matter what it cost.

As the seventeen year old stood on her rooftop perch, she couldn't help but think back upon the first battle she had had with the turtles. The one called Michelangelo was supposed to be their leader, yet he showed about as much leadership capability as a new born. And his fighting technique and ability was nearly laughable compared to her own and that of the other three creatures. Had he truly been faking it in an attempt to throw her off guard so that he would be able to make his move? Growling low in her throat, Shadow shook her head at that thought. No, that didn't seem to be it. He had truly been surprised and caught off guard himself when she flipped herself up and over the one in blue. Of course, a true ninja master is able to disguise himself for any occasion in order to accomplish his mission, so it could have all been planned out after all.

Shaking her head once more, Dark Shadow silently scolded herself for doubting her Master Usagi. Surely the man who had saved her from certain death and raised her to be the fine young woman she was would not lie to her or lead her in the wrong direction. No, it was those accursed turtles that did that, not Oroku Usagi.

Scowling out at the glow from the city lights of Manhattan, Dark Shadow turned to go back into her warehouse headquarters. She needed answers and information from those teens and she wanted it now.

* * *

Michelangelo sighed heavily as the four brothers started the return trip to their home empty handed. They'd been out most of the night looking for any sign of Liz but hadn't had much luck. Leo had suggested they go search around her old neighborhood, knowing that the teen was fond of walking those streets still. However, even that failed to provide them with any clues. They were just turning down an alley to head back down into the sewers when, in the soft grey light of early morning, Mike noticed a camera and digital voice recorder lying on the ground.

Don picked the camera up and looked to see if there were any pictures already taken that might give them a clue as to who had dropped such expensive equipment and froze when he saw a picture of two girls and a boy crammed in between the two of them.

"Um? Guys? Isn't this Tabby's friend, Andy?" He asked as he showed his brothers the photo. They each leaned forward to look it over before their eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm willing to bet this is his too then," Don said as he held up the voice recorder. In that instant the brothers all felt the familiar stab of concern fill their bodies and invade their minds as they scrambled to find any more clues that could prove beneficial to them.

As they searched that they found the crimson colored patches on the ground and a trail of drag marks. A battle had certainly taken place there, that much was clear as they found more splotches of red and pieces of black fabric scattered across the blacktop.

It was difficult to determine who had come out on top when all was said and done, but as Raph found the pair of sixteen-inch sais that had belonged to his oldest niece lying haphazardly on the ground, it was clear to see it hadn't been Liz. He wasn't sure at the time if it was the cold December air finally catching up with him and chilling his blood or the knowledge that something horrible had happened to Liz that was making him tremble. His large three fingered hands clasped tightly around their hilts as he stared down at them.

The walk back down to the lair was a long and silent one as they all tried to hash over what they had finally discovered in their investigation. None of them were looking forward to approaching their wives with the bad news, but in particular not Leonardo or Michelangelo. Leo knew that his wife was going to go ballistic when she found out her first born daughter had been probably taken by someone or something…or worse. While Mike was afraid that telling Gwen Liz had been kidnapped would set off a whole new string of nightmares and reopen the wounds of her own abduction so many years before.

The lair was still quiet as the four brothers entered through their false brick wall door. With any luck all the kids were still in bed and their wives had decided to wait in their respected bedrooms as well. A gentle clinking of china cups from the kitchen told the turtles differently as they trudged down the stairs. Ying-Su and Gwen were seated at the table, both staring down at the table cloth as if it were the most interesting thing in the world, while Angie and Julie were standing at the sink washing and drying dishes that had probably been washed, dried, and put away already earlier that night. Given how red and chapped both women's hands appeared, the two had been standing at that sink for hours washing, drying, re-washing, and re-drying the same dishes over and over again just to keep their minds and hands busy.

At the soft sounds of tired and heavy feet treading across the concrete floor, the four women all looked up in surprise and hope. It was plain to see that they were all in desperate need of rest and Donatello and his brothers knew that once they said what they had discovered none of them would be getting much rest until they tracked down and rescued the teens.

The instant Ying-Su caught sight of her tired and frustrated husband she sprang from her place at the table and rushed to throw her arms around him. She had hoped to see her daughter following close behind them, though when she saw Liz was nowhere in sight, tears sprang to her eyes. She clung to Leo like he was the only thing keeping her afloat in the ocean of sorrow and concern. Sighing heavily and wrapping his arms around her, Leo pressed his beak against her soft black hair. Nothing he could say could bring her any more comfort than silence would and he knew that well.

Gwen looked up at Mike with the tiniest glint of hope in her hazel eyes. "Did you find _anything_?" she questioned, looking between her husband and her brothers-in-law.

Don and Raph both heaved heavy sighs as they placed the four objects down on the kitchen table. The dim ceiling light bounced off the carefully polished three pronged weapons while it was absorbed into the black and silver of the camera and voice recorder. For what felt like ages no one spoke, moved; they merely stood looking at the objects as if waiting for them to come to life and spill every detail about what had happened to their previous owners.

Finally, unable to stand the heavy silence, Angela reached out to examine the voice recorder. She had seen ones similar to that one used on one of her and Gwen's favorite television shows, "Ghost Seekers" and had always wanted to find out how it worked. Supposedly, so long as it was turned on and in record mode, it would only record if it picked up on a voice frequency (which was why they seemed to be so popular in the paranormal field for Electronic Voice Phenomenon research). Looking it over carefully and shrugging, Angie pressed the play back button and listened to see if who ever the recorder had belonged to had been able to pick up any EVPs.

"_Get to the nearest sewer cap and go down. Don't stop running until someone comes out to get you." _

"_H-how do you know someone will?"_

"_JUST DO IT, DAMNIT!!"_

The adults all stopped and turned to face Angie and the voice recorder when they heard Liz's calm and assertive voice first order someone down into the sewers, then Andy's voice questioning her command before she finally yelled at him a moment before the sounds of metal hitting metal could be heard. All eyes were on the small device as it played through the audio of the battle. They could hear Andy's heavy, panicked breathing and heard Liz herself crying out with each blow she delivered. After a moment the sound of the battle got farther away until it was almost inaudible and was replaced with the sounds of feet running and what sounded like hard plastic and the microphone hitting the pavement.

"_Take this pipsqueak back to the warehouse. Mistress Shadow will be pleased to see we've captured one so soon. I will take care of the other one,"_ a female voice said before the sounds of more feet running past the microphone echoed off the walls of the small kitchen area.

Seconds later another pair of heavy booted feet ran by and stopped. They could hear the soles of the rubber bottom boots scrapping across the pavement as they turned in circles, possibly looking for something or someone. Then the startled cry of another female could be heard before it too was scooped up and rushed past the then freezing audio equipment.

Ying could feel the blood draining from her face as she realized what had happened to her daughter and niece's new best friend. It was a feeling that no mother should have to feel; the feeling of worry, anger, despair, and desperation all wrapped up into one. The feeling of never wanting to stop, rest, eat or take care of themselves until their child is back, safe within their arms. Add to that pain she already felt at knowing her daughter had been taken the pain that somewhere in New York another mother was more than likely wrought with worry over the whereabouts of her son.

The air surrounding the eight adults was heavy and thick as the impact set in around them and the digital voice recorder went silent. It was almost too much to comprehend. Finally, after a few moments of utter silence, Leo lifted his head and looked at his brothers and their wives before glancing at his own.

"Everyone try to get some sleep. I'll wait until Casey wakes up and have him make sure everyone stays quiet until we wake back up. Brothers, tonight we go out looking for this 'Mistress Shadow.' If it's a fight she wants from us, it's a fight she'll get, and this time we'll be ready for her and her so-called ninjas," He said calmly, that all too familiar glimmer of grim determination sparking like embers of a fire in his brown eyes. Leo watched as his brothers all nodded before they reached out to their respective wives and trudged slowly and reluctantly off towards their own rooms.

Ying-Su bit her lip gently as she took a step closer to Leo and placed a small hand on his arm. Lowering his eyes to look at her gesture for just a moment, the oldest brother turned his attention back to his wife and did his best to offer her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Su…we'll find Elizabeth and bring her home. As Mike would say, we're the good guys and the good guys always win." The hint of humor in Leo's voice didn't quite make it to his eyes or heart. Ying looked up into her husband's eyes with tears threatening to fall from her own as she reached up to place the hand that a moment before had been on his arm onto his cheek.

"Promise me, Leo…promise me that you'll find Elizabeth and that poor boy and bring them both safely home."

Leonardo could feel his own heart start to rise into this throat as he heard the pain in his wife's voice. Gently taking her wrist in his large hand, he turned his head and placed a small kiss on her palm before looking back at her.

"I promise, Ying-Su. I will personally see that anyone who might harm either one of them gets what they deserve when I find them. I will bring them home, Ying. You have my word."

Nodding to herself, Ying glanced at their hands and then back into his solemn eyes. "Now promise me that _you'll_ return home safely."

Leo frowned deeply as he looked down at his wife. As much as he wanted to make such a hollow promise to help make her feel more at ease about things, he knew in his heart that couldn't do that to her. Lowering their hands back down to their sides, Leo slowly released hers and felt his hands absently clench into loose fists before shaking his head.

"I can't promise that, Ying-Su and you know it. If I have to sacrifice myself to make sure my brothers and those teens make it home safely then that's exactly what I'm going to do. Now please go try and get some sleep? I'll be up in a little while." He said before placing a gentle kiss on her lips and turning her in the direction of their bedroom.

Watching to make sure she truly went into the room, Leo felt a slightly tremble like sigh escape his mouth as he fell heavily onto the couch in the main room. Taking care of his family had been so much easier when it had been just him, his brothers and their adoptive father living there. At least back when they were teens they didn't have to worry about leaving any kids fatherless or any wives widowed. All they had to worry about was losing each other or, at the very worst, their Sensei before they were ready. True, once they became friends and adoptive family with Casey and April, they would look after them and if anything had happened to one of the brothers they would have been crushed. But even that was entirely different.

Leo and his brothers had worked hard to make sure their children never had to worry about trying to fight against half of the things they did growing up; or if they did have to go up against anything that they had a fighting chance and could defend themselves. That was an absolute last resort though. He knew his brothers felt the same way, they did not want their children to have to get involved in whatever this battle was that was brewing in the coming days. He could feel it already that many people were going to be either injured or killed before they would finally get Liz and Andy back; that was something no one wanted for the young ones to be a part of if at all possible.

Sighing heavily and stretching his tired, worn, and battle scared arms up over his head as he leaned back against the couch, Leonardo blinked up at the ceiling and felt as if the weight of the world was being placed on his middle-aged shoulders . Slowly lowering his arms, his hands dropped down behind his head and fiddled with the knot on the back of his also aging blue bandana. Carefully removing it, the forty-one-year-old looked down at the faded and stained piece of light blue fabric and thought back on a time when it had been near midnight blue in color. Shaking his head and carefully tucking it into his obi, Leo leaned on his knees and hung his head.

_Father? If you can hear me…please help me keep our families safe. We need your guidance now more than ever. Please help us…I'm not sure if I can keep them safe myself. I don't know what to do…_


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I am SO SORRY it took me so long to write and post this chapter! I tried to write it awhile ago but this big thick brick wall popped up out of nowhere and I was not able to defeat it until Friday morning when I was waiting for some friends to show up so we could hang out. But...here it is...the next chapter...one that I sincerely hope is worth the wait. And I really do hope to have chapter sixteen written soon. Wednesdays and Fridays are my days off of work so that's when I'll try to work on finishing this story. Please don't forget to review it, let me know if it was worth the wait or just crap. Thanks! **

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: "We Meet Again"

Elizabeth felt the needle like pricks stinging across her face as the taste of blood erupted in her mouth. The air was thick with the scent of her and Andy's blood as the pair stood silently in the dark room, a single dim light hanging above them. She knew what her captors wanted and there was no way she was going to tell them. Living in the sewer with strange hybrids may not have been the ideal life, but despite it all, they _were_ her family and she would not dishonor herself or put them in danger by revealing the exact location of their home.

To her right, she heard the soft whimper from Andy as the unseen enemy approached him once more. The pair had been left alone in that dark room without food or water, or more embarrassingly, without proper waste facilities, since the night before. It wasn't until an hour before when Liz sensed the four silent attackers enter the room that she knew they were going to be in for trouble. Despite all her training, particularly her training while being in pitch black, she was unable to take these forces down. It was as if she were moving in slow motion; nothing had felt right since the moment she arrived there.

Andy's grunt and cry of pain from her side brought her out of her thoughts and caused her to turn her head towards him. Feeling sympathy for the teen for a moment, Liz was suddenly angry with her cousin for making friends with a topsider and thus dragging an innocent into a war no one knew the rhyme or reason for. How could Tabitha be so selfish? Andy didn't have any formal training in self-defense; in fact Liz was willing to bet the boy didn't even have any street training or basic knowledge of how to defend himself.

"Look bub! Why don't you pick on someone your own size and leave him alone? He doesn't know anything about anything, so leave him alone." Liz ordered her voice hoarse from lack of drinkable liquid.

"That's a noble idea, madam Young, but I am afraid that will not further our attempt to gain information from either of you," a cool, smooth female voice said from the shadows to Liz's left. "Perhaps, though, if we continue to torture him you will give us the answers we seek. Truly you would not let an innocent young boy be tortured or killed. That would not be very honorable."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as she peered off into the darkness. She could just barely make out the silhouette of a female standing against the wall, her arms folded and hidden across her chest.

"Eat dirt, nimrod! What do you know about honor anyways? If you were so concerned about being honorable you wouldn't have kidnapped us, locked us in a dark room with no food, no water, and no place to go to the bathroom! And _then_ have your lame little henchmen come in to do your dirty work for you by beating the crap out of—" Liz fell to the floor quickly, a shocked and bewildered look on her face as her cheek burned fiercely. She hadn't seen or heard anyone approach her and yet in an instant she was taken out; how?

"You will learn to hold your tongue, Cretin, or the next time you won't be so lucky." Shadow growled as she glared down at the teen girl who was still trying to regain her senses.

Liz blinked rapidly as she lifted a hand to her cheek. A gash oozing blood reached from her upper cheek bone to the side of her chin and somehow Liz knew she was lucky the gash did not cut straight through. True she'd always wanted to get different parts of her body pierced but having a gaping hole in her cheek was not exactly what she had in mind. Standing back up, hand still pressed painfully against her wound in an attempt to control the bleeding, she narrowed her eyes once more at the shadow figure.

"You're a real bitch, you know that? There is a pill you can take to help with PMS; I suggest trying it some time." Liz spat, not caring if she was once again hit so long as it took attention off of Andy and kept him from being smacked around any further.

"I grow tired of your mouth Cretin. I suggest keeping it shut from now on if you wish to ever see your family again." Shadow stated from her place at the door, her hand already on the handle ready to leave. Nodding to the remaining ninjas, Shadow slipped from the room without a sound.

Liz glared out into the darkness as their only dim light above them flickered and died. She could hear the remaining ninjas circling around them, getting ready for their further attack. Taking a deep breath, Liz let it out silently and blindly reached out to grasp Andy's arm and pull him slightly closer.

"To quote my Uncle Raph, 'Damn!'"

* * *

The brothers waited for night to fall over the city before they began their trek topside once again in search of Dark Shadow and her clan of ninjas. The air was crisp and stung their lungs as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop silent as the shadows. They had already made up their minds they would find Dark Shadow and rescue the teens no matter what it cost.

As the four approached the rundown and forgotten warehouse district of Manhattan, the sound of breaking glass and scraping metal caught their ears. Looking down below them, they saw a handful of black clad ninjas tearing apart a stolen car, the car thieves lying on the ground nearby, ever increasing dark puddles surrounding them.

Mike could feel his blood start to boil as he looked down at the scene below them. Sure it was his and his brothers' job to try and keep the streets clean of scum, but to kill an opponent was always their last choice—or at least _his_ last choice anyways. Seeing those two thugs lying dead on the ground, he felt his heart stop for a moment as he thought about the welfare of his niece and daughter's new friend. He hated not knowing where the teens were or if they were even still alive. Biting back his concerns, he glanced to Leo who stood at the edge of the rooftop, weapons drawn and ready, and his face holding an almost unreadable expression. Mike knew what Leo was thinking though; it was the same thing they all were thinking, "Is this going to work?" Before they had left the lair that evening, they had come up with a simple, though hopefully effective, plan for when they finally found their new enemy.

Getting the nod for their oldest brother, Mike leapt from the rooftop, removing his own weapons as he fell. Landing in a crouched position, he listened as he heard the gentle thuds of his brothers landing behind him, each holding their weapons of choice. Shadow and her ninjas turned in surprise and quickly drew their own equipment at their unexpected company. Narrowing his eyes, Mike stuck to the shadows as he slowly and methodically straightened his stance, his shoulders squared and head held high. He saw Shadow's look of distaste as his brothers stepped forward to stand by his side, her gaze dragging over each of them until she reached Leonardo. A small smirk appeared on Mike's face as he realized their plan was already working.

As the four brothers stood silently before her—their katanas, sais, nunchakus, and bo-staffs drawn and ready—they watched as the kunoichi drew her own sais from her belt and rushed towards them. Mike gave an inward smile as Shadow by-passed him for Leo. Turning his attention back to the ninjas coming towards him, Mike twirled his barrowed katanas and quickly blocked a downward blow of a nunchaku.

To his left, he heard the disgruntled grunt of Raphael as he struggled to remember his training with the bo-staff. It was odd seeing his hot-headed brother wearing the purple mask and weapon of Donatello while the genius wore and wielded Raphael's color and weapon. Though each were trained and skilled with each others weapons, Michelangelo still felt his thick fingers catch and slip from time to time on Leo's katana hilts. He never was much of a fan of the sharp and pointy weapons, it was too easy for him to resort back to his typical clumsy self and accidently slice off one of his fingers, or someone else's for that matter.

He knew that when Dark Shadow found out she was going up against his brother and not him, she was going to be royally upset, but then again, that was part of the plan. Mike continued to battle off the amateur ninjas that came at him while he heard the sounds of his beloved nunchakus connecting with the cold steel of Shadow's sais. The only sounds to be heard were the pants and grunts of the warriors as they battled ruthlessly against one another. The switching of their masks and weapons had truly turned out to be a good idea after all. Having tricked Shadow into believing she was battling "Michelangelo" the brothers did their best to make sure that none of them talked, assuring that their voices didn't give themselves away.

The brothers were doing a much better job of holding their ground this time around with Shadow's ninjas than they did the first time around. More prepared to fight fire with fire, they concentrated at the task at hand and opened themselves up to their surroundings as they had been taught to do so many years ago. However, it was one minor slip up from Raphael that cost the team their cover. Caught up in the rush of fighting, Raph growled low in his throat as he whipped the bo-staff around in the air and brought it down quickly and swiftly upon the nearest ninjas head before kicking the body away in disgust. Glancing up, he saw a ninja approaching the real Michelangelo from behind, a small dagger in his hand. Pole-vaulting over another black clad ninja, he landed gracefully between Mike and the ninja and easily brought the man down with a flick of the wooden weapon.

"Ya almost got your shell waxed, Mike. Watch it, huh?" Raph grunted as he fought at his youngest brothers back. No sooner had those words left his mouth that all movement in the alley stopped and the three remaining brothers looked at Raph with wide eyes. Never in his life had Raph wanted to crawl into his shell and hide as much as he did the instant he realized he'd just blown their cover and shot their plan.

Turning to look at his brothers, Mike's heart stopped dead as he watched Shadow slowly straighten and stare at each of them. Her face hidden behind her dark scarf, he could still feel the intensity of her livid glare as it settled upon him finally. His plastron was still sore from the last time he went up against her and he had the distinct feeling his whole body was about to hurt just as badly in the moments that followed. The air around them snapped and cracked with the negativity and anger Shadow felt for them an instant before she rushed for Mike.

Thinking only of his brother's safety, Leo reached out to grab Shadow as she darted past him. Wrapping his fingers around the nearest piece of fabric available, he yanked hard and watched as Shadow skidded to a halt, her face finally revealed to those before her.

Behind them, the brothers heard the scuffling of feet as the ninjas rose to their feet and scurried into the shadows, not wanting a repeat thrashing with the grown turtles. For a brief moment, Mike couldn't breathe as his eyes widened in surprise. He watched as Shadow stepped into the light and he was met with a pair of eyes he knew only too well. They were the same hazel eyes that belonged to Gwen.

Mike's heart suddenly leapt to his throat as realization hit him square in the stomach. His daughter _was_ still alive! After seventeen years of searching and wondering he'd found her! Unfortunately, he'd found her too late and now—for whatever reason there was—she was hell bent on destroying them.

"Naomi?" He questioned quietly, his voice breaking with years of pent up emotions. "Naomi…it's me…Mi…dad. I know you never got to meet me but…I am."

Taking a step closer, Mike felt his hands go out to her, the katana blades clanking to the cold pavement beneath their feet. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her like he did Tabby, to rush down to the lair with her and show his newly discovered daughter off to the whole rest of the family; but the look of sheer hatred for him turned his blood cold and told him that was never going to happen.

"Liar!" Shadow cried, her blood burning through her veins as she ran at him, lashing out at him again and again, the tips of her sais scratching and slicing his tough green skin. "You took me from my family and tried to turn me into a freak!"

All the pain from his injuries couldn't come close to the aching Mike felt in his heart as he heard her voice for the first time; though instead of the kind words of endearment he was so used to from Tabitha, Shadow's words were laced with venom and knives. Usagi had taken his daughter from him and had raised her as his own, replacing love and guidance with lies and contention. He'd lied to her, made her believe _he_ was a savior and they were the monsters. That pain alone was nearly enough to make him want to just stand there while she plunged her sai into his heart.

Stumbling back out of reach of her deadly blades, Mike shook his head quickly as his brothers moved quickly to stand between the two.

"No, no we didn't do that to you. You were taken from _us_! _We're_ your family! Your mother's name is Gwen, you've even got three younger siblings and a whole slew of cousins! Naomi listen to me, please!?" Mike pleaded, his heartbreaking at the anger and hatred that met his broken gaze.

Dark Shadow growled loudly and shook her head as she broke away from her uncles and glared at them, a fierce fire burning deep in her hazel eyes.

"Lies! All of it! You all are monsters and need to perish! You killed my mother and stole me from my family and now you and your families must pay for your dishonorable ways!" Eyes flashing, Shadow turned and bolted down the darkened street, disappearing into the night like the shadows she had been named after.

"Naomi! Wait!" Mike cried as he turned to run after her, wanting to stop her, to make her listen and believe him. He felt his brothers grab his arms to stop him, the slices and cuts across his arms and shoulders from Shadow's blinded attack stinging at their touch.

Shaking his head, Mike struggled to break free from their holds. "Lemme go! I have to stop her!"

"Mike, let it go." Leonardo's calm yet assertive voice said softly behind him. Stepping up next to his distraught younger brother, Leo placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded to Don and Raph who slowly released their hold on his arms. "This isn't the last time we'll face her. There is still hope to reach her."

Michelangelo gulped hard as he blinked back his tears. Giving a quick sniffle and swiping at his beak with the back of his hand, he knew his brother was right. She still had the kids, and though he wanted to go after her, he knew she was no longer his daughter and that—if it meant getting the kids back safely—she would have to be taken care of any way possible in the near future.

"Well…at least the night isn't a total loss." Donatello finally said, his voice hinting at a slight victory for their team. All eyes turned to Don as he smirked and held out the red mask and sais to his older brother.

"What are you talking about, Donnie?" Leo questioned as he too removed the orange mask and presented it and the nunchakus back to Mike.

Retying his bandana around his eyes and tucking his bo safely in his belt, a smile grew across his face, making his hazel eyes twinkle. "We can at least find out where she's going and be able to track her every move now." He answered, pulling a small remote object from the front of his obi, a red light blinking rapidly.

It took a moment for the realization of Donnie's sneaky placement of a tracking device on Shadow's cloak to sink in. When it did though, the remaining three couldn't help but smile at least a tiny bit as they knew they had just received the upper hand on Shadow and her team.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Look! Look! I updated! I know it took me long enough t do it, and I'm sorry. But look! It's a nice big, long chapter! Hopefully you'll all enjoy it, it took me FOREVER to try and come up with it, and I have to thank a few people for all their help and support: Complexparadigm (Para) and Kor from the Stealthy Stories site for all their suggestions and for allowing me to rant and ramble and bounce ideas off of (they're quite springy! ^__^), to PriestessOfFreya and SoaringPhoenix86 for being patient enough to tell to take my time getting this chapter (and all the others) written. You gals all rock socks! Also...if anyone is interested in having a chance to help move this story right on along, I'm actually looking for someone to help co-author a chapter for me. I'm not very good at battle scenes and I really want the last battle between Dark Shadow and the turtles to be SPACTACTULAR! So I'm gonna need some help with it. So, if you'd like to give a crack at it, lemme know! And now...on with the chapter!!

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Lies

Shadow stormed down the damp and dank hallways, her mind racing with doubts and questions. How could that mutant claim to be her father? Did he truly take her for a fool? Did he honestly think he could convince her he did nothing wrong? Anger boiling her blood, Shadow spun around the last corner and into the hall leading to the containment room; the holding cell of the two teens she planned to torture into confessions. How dare that turtle even suggest they were of the same blood line! How dare he say her mother was still alive! Master Usagi would have told her if her mother was still alive; wouldn't he? Of course he would! He had never lied to her before…hadn't he? Though still…there was something in that freak of nature's eyes, the pain his face revealed that made Shadow think perhaps Usagi _was_ lying to her? After all, the turtle seemed to believe what he was saying to her, and was rather adamant about it all…

"_Lies!_" She growled to herself as she shook her head. Doubt is what got people killed. She had never doubted anything before in her life; she was not going to start now. Jaw set and eyes narrowed, Shadow all but kicked down the door to the holding cell and cast her cold gaze upon Liz. Lip curling, she motioned for Liz to be stood up.

Shadow watched as the teen struggled against the ninja's, trying hard to break free and come after her captor. She had to admit, the girl had enough spunk and hatred in her to possibly make a good addition to the clan. Though, that chance would never be presented to the girl. Shadow planned to have them both killed the instant she learned all she needed to know from them both.

Glaring at the girl, Shadow crossed her arms and waited for the ductape to be removed. It was almost a sickening sound hearing the strong adhesive yanked from a person's face, pulling with it the tiny hairs around the mouth, pieces of skin, and even a top layer of lip. A trickle of blood ran down the girl's chin as she cringed in pain.

"Is it true?" Shadow demanded, not giving Liz enough time to adjust to having her lips split open.

"That you're a bitch? Yeah…I'd say that's true enough. Did you really have to ask?" Replied Liz, her words slightly slurred and jumbled from the burning pain on her lips. She knew when she answered she was just asking to be hit, but she didn't care.

Bringing her leather gloved hand down hard across Liz's already sliced cheek, Shadow growled low as blood splatter onto the wall and floor.

"Silence!"

Hissing in pain, Liz closed her eyes and forced herself not to cry. Hungry, thirsty, cold and dirty, all Liz wanted to do was curl up in cry. Slowly opening her eyes, she tilted her head to look at the dark blue clad teen before her.

"It's kind of hard to answer a question when I'm being told to shut up, isn't it? Kind of defeats the purpose of asking it."

"Those…freaks…claim to be my family. Is it true?" Shadow demanded again, her anger on the brink of overflowing.

"How should I freakin' know!? I don't even know who you are."

Fire erupted in Shadow's eyes as she latched her large, three fingered hand to the girl's throat, pinning her roughly to the wall. She was lying to her, she had to be lying. Keeping the girl at arm's length, Shadow narrowed her eyes once more and snarled.

"You're lying to me. How could that abomination claim to be my father? Who is this _Naomi _that atrocity kept calling me? Another failed experiment?"

Liz lifted her bound hands and wrapped her fingers around that of Shadow's, her brain's air supply quickly diminishing.

"Look…you've…impressed me…by showing…how many dif…ferent names…you can use…instead of…saying…mutant turtle…or turtle…or hell…even just mu…tant. But I…have no idea…what you're…talking about." The teen struggled to say, her throat on the verge of collapsing. Tears rimmed her eyes as she looked at Shadow's face. There was something strangely familiar about the girl…

Shadow's lip curled into a fierce snarl as she glared harshly at Liz. Giving a growl of frustration, the kunoichi threw the teen back into the corner where Andy sat, his eyes wide with fear. The scent of their fear and confusion, with just a hint of defiance coming from the girl, hung rank in the air around them, filling Shadow's nostrils with its pungent aroma. She heard the crunch of bone hitting concrete, and the cry of pain as Liz's shoulder dislocated from impact. Knowing she had caused a bit more pain made Shadow feel slightly better, but not much.

Turning on her heels, her long black braid and cloak flaring out behind her, the 17 year old ninja moved for the door once more. Let the teens sit in their cell and rot for all she cared, which wasn't much at all if any really. Stopping outside the room, she turned her head slightly to give them each one final glare before turning her attention back to the guard.

"Do what you must to make them talk. Cut the girls hair, beat them, break each finger one by one if need be. I want answers and they will give them to me whether they like it or not. If that doesn't work, concentrate all your efforts on the boy. If she has any honor at all, she will speak just to keep him from being harmed any further."

The silent ninja gave a curt nod before motioning for his fellow guards to follow him down the hall. As Shadow started away from the door, she couldn't keep the small malicious smile from appearing on her face as she heard Andy's whimper of fear.

"Just be strong. Don't say a word to any of them, no matter what they do. Got it?" she heard Liz's faint voice order as she rounded the corner.

_Oh child…after my ninja's are done with you both, neither of you will be strong enough to even open your eyes._

Moving swiftly down the hallways once more, Shadow continued to weigh things out in her mind. Surely this was all just some big cover story that those turtles had instilled into not only their own minds, but also into the minds of their offspring. The thought of having those children brainwashed into believing they were at no fault was infuriating! Though, there was a very faint and foreign part of Shadow that almost, possibly, wanted to believe that her mother was in fact still alive. That thought was quickly pushed aside by the anger and hatred that dominated her life. What mother could possibly want a mutated freak like she? Even if her mother were still alive, she could never look on her with unconditional love and affection, could never defend her to all of her socialite friends. Instead, she would lock Shadow away in a dark room; hidden from the world and others, only allowed access to the rest of the house while no one was home. If she was even locked up in the house, that was. More than likely, she would be locked away someplace far away from anyone else, no contact with the outside. No, her mother was dead, if not physically, then metaphorically. The only family Shadow had was her Master Usagi. He would never lie to her, or brainwash her into thinking something that was untrue.

Entering the dimly lit meditation room, Shadow glided across the wood floor and came to a stop in front of Oruku Usagi. His toned and sculpted body, covered by a midnight blue silk kimono, was relaxed and passive as he sat in the lotus potion on his mat. Though his eyes were closed, Shadow knew from experience that the man could tell when she entered a room, even if she were silent as the grave, just by her energy alone. Without a word, Shadow placed her arms to her side and gave a respectful bow to her master.

"They are lying to you, my dear. You know this, don't you?" Usagi questioned, his eyes still closed, his hands resting lightly upon his knees. Shadow stood looking at the man she'd known her whole life, the man who had supposedly rescued her from those evil ones all those years ago. Here was the man who had raised her when no one else would. Yet, what was that feeling gnawing away in a tiny portion of the back of her mind? Filling her head with doubts and uncertainty.

"I assume that they are, yes." She answered softly, averting her gaze slightly. Uncertainty was a new feeling for Shadow, one she despised greatly already.

"You only _assume_ that they are lying? Why would you only assume? What proof have you that they are telling the truth? Do they have the bloody blanket stained with your DNA? Do they have the newspaper clippings showing your gutted mother lying died in the dumpster?" Usagi opened his eyes and looked at his adopted daughter. He could sense her uncertainty and confusion though she did her best to hide it behind a façade of self-confidence. Allowing a very small smirk to itch at the corner of his mouth, he nodded a little.

"I thought not. Trust me, my dear; those freaks are only out to finish you once and for all. To eliminate their mistake from the city, to do what they failed to 17 years ago. They only mean to gain your trust so that it will be all the more pleasurable for them to kill you, to see your face twisted in betrayal as the life flees from your eyes. Those two will talk; they cherish their lives too much not to. "

Shadow took a deep breath as she attempted to clear her mind of all her doubts and instead wrap it around all that Usagi had told her. What he said made sense; once again he had given her reason to believe him over anyone else. Giving a small nod to her master as he closed his eyes and continued his meditation, she turned sharply and glided back across the floor.

"Oh, one last thing," Usagi called as he moved to stand behind Shadow. Breath catching in her throat in surprise, the teen did all she could to keep from turning to glare at him. She hated the fact that her master had a way to move quicker and even more silently than she could in order to sneak up upon her when she least expected it. He had managed to do it a hundred times or more and Shadow thought him lucky to continue living long enough to do it to her again later. Not many could boast that they had snuck up and startled Shadow and live to tell about it. Before she could turn to face him and question him, Shadow felt a small tug on her the hood of her cloak.

"It would seem our reptilian friends have thought themselves clever by attaching this to you. And perhaps they are clever…" Usagi stated as he showed the girl a small chip, no bigger than a lady-bug, with a tiny blinking green light. An unbridled anger rose deep from within Shadow as she realized she had been marked with a tiny tracking chip. How could she not have noticed that? How could she not have sensed that something had happened? Had her judgment and senses been so clouded with disbelief for her to realize one of them had gotten close enough to attach that to her hood?

Giving a very faint smirk, Usagi closed his fist around the device and tucked it into his obi as he turned to move back for his meditation mat. "Perhaps, my dear Dark Shadow, you should go back to your dark room and meditate on how you could have been so foolish as to be allowed to be marked like this and tracked. Maybe if you're fortunate, you'll figure out a way to do away with them before they come here to kill you in your sleep."

Keeping her anger, frustration, and even fear of her dreaded dark cell in check, Shadow clenched her jaw as she gave a stiff bow to her master's back.

"Yes…master."

* * *

_Meanwhile in the lair..._

Tabitha sighed heavily as she clapped her cell phone closed again. She had been trying for the past two days to get in touch with Andy, but to no avail. Something wasn't right. First Liz had gone missing, and now Andy wouldn't answer his phone? Something was wrong, something was very wrong. Tucking her phone back into her pocket, Tabby moved down the hall to her cousin's room and tapped on the door. Maybe Andy would be online?

"Lane? Can I come in?"

"Enter at your own risk! Just watch your step…and don't open the door too far." Came the muffled reply from within. Tabitha smiled a little and shook her head. Delaney must have been working on another computer again. Opening the door carefully, and minding where she placed her feet, the girl entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Can I use your computer, Laney? I want to see if Andy is online. He's not answering his phone and I'm getting pretty worried about him." Tabby's fingers absently fidgeted with the cuff of her love worn sweatshirt. It was a habit she had when she was nervous or worried about something. She watched as Laney's hand waved off towards the glowing computer screen in the corner of the room, her head buried deep within the body of a computer tower.

"Have at it."

"Thanks…" Stepping carefully over the different tools and gadgets scattered haphazardly around the floor, Tabitha moved to the computer desk and sat down in the worn out old office chair Donatello had found for her a few years back. Fingers flying across the keyboard, Tabby entered in her screen name on her messenger box and impatiently waited for it to finally connect. The entire process took less than 30 seconds, but to Tabitha it seemed that that took even too long.

"_7 out of 15 friends online"_ read at the top of the box. Since the teens were unable to mingle with the topside world, most had settled with merely making online friends who would never have to see what they looked like. Most of Tabitha's friends were people she had met in a special type of chat room for artists that allowed them to mix and mingle with each other while drawing on their tablets, letting the others in the room see what they were working on at the time and possibly get help with it if need be. Scanning down the list, she felt her breath catch as she saw his screen name lit up with his icon of "Casper the Friendly Ghost" next to it.

_**TabbyKatTwin2:**__ Andy! Why haven't you been answering your phone? I've been trying to call you for the past two days! What's wrong? Is everything ok? I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I'm sorry if I did…_

There was a moment of nervous silence as Tabitha waited for Andy's reply. A knot formed itself in her stomach as she watched the screen. Nothing was happening; he should have been answering her by now. Gulping down hard, her eyes began to widen with fear until she saw the tiny font at the bottom of her message box: "_NuYooBoo is typing a message"_

_**NuYooBoo:**__ This isn't Andy. This is his sister, Leona. Who's this?  
__**TabbyKatTwin2:**__ This is Tabby, his friend. Why are you on his messenger?  
__**NuYooBoo:**__ Do you know where Andy is?! _

Tabitha's heart stopped when she saw those words. No, Andy couldn't be missing too, he couldn't be! Life could not be that cruel to her! Heart finally kicking into over drive, Tabitha shook her head.

"No…" she said as she continued to shake her head and type, "I have no idea _where_ he is!"

_**NuYooBoo:**__Oh God…we can't find him anywhere! This isn't like him!  
__**TabbyKatTwin2:**__ When did you find out you couldn't find him?  
__**NuYooBoo: **__The other morning. Mom went to wake him up for breakfast and he wasn't there. His camera, voice recorder, all the stuff he uses when he goes out "ghost hunting" is gone, too!_

All the color in Tabitha's face drained. She remembered seeing a camera and little recording device on the table in her Uncle Don's lab the day before. She didn't think anything of it though; she figured it must have been his latest dump treasures he was going to fix up and give to one or two of them for Christmas. But, if it had been Andy's, wouldn't they have told her about it? He was, after all, her friend, she had every right to know her only topside friend had been kidnapped with her cousin!

_**TabbyKatTwin2:**__ I think I might be able to help you find Andy. I think he's with my cousin!  
__**NuYooBoo:**__ Who's your cousin!? What do they want with him? Where are they?  
__**TabbyKatTwin2:**__ I don't know where they are. Lizzie's been missing for two days too.  
__**NuYooBoo:**__ What?! If she's missing then how is that going to help us find Andy?  
__**TabbyKatTwin2:**__ Because my dad and uncles are searching high and low for Lizzie! And my Uncle Don's a genius! I'm sure he can think of SOMETHING that could help us! _

Slamming her finger down on the enter button, Tabitha waited just long enough to see her message pop up in the box before closing her messenger down and springing out of the chair, sending it hurtling backwards into the back of an unsuspecting Delaney.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!"

"Sorry Laney!" Tabitha called over her shoulder as she bolted from the room, pieces of computer and wires scattering further across the room.

There was no time to loose. Maybe Tabby could convince her dad and uncles to go with her to Andy's house and talk to his parents. And maybe, if all of them banded together, they'd be able to find the two quicker! Bounding down the hallway as fast as possible, the teen skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs leading down to the main living area where all the adults were huddled. Sensing that something important had happened while on their latest run through the city, she carefully crept down the stairs to get a better listening spot. Maybe they had found Liz and Andy? But, if they had, wouldn't they have looked happier and brought them back with them?

"You…you're sure? Couldn't…couldn't it be something else?" Gwen asked quietly, tears in her eyes as she looked between her husband and his brothers. Mike gulped hard as he placed a hand on her shoulders.

"We're pretty positive, babe. It's Naomi, it's gotta be. I mean, unless someone out there managed to find a way to medically combine human and turtle DNA…but we kind of doubt it. Besides, her face…her eyes," Mike paused as he lifted his large hand to press against her warm cheek, his thumb brushing aside the tear that had begun to slide its way down her face, "she looked just like you, Gwen."

Tabitha's jaw went slack as she heard those words leave her father's mouth. What were they talking about? Who looked just like her mom? They couldn't be talking about that Shadow person, could they? It just didn't seem possible in Tabitha's mind. Looking between her mom and dad, Tabby scooted closer still, trying hard to stay hidden in case they were talking about something the "kids" weren't supposed to hear.

Gwen pressed her lips together in a thin line as she sniffled slightly and nodded. The tears were evident in her hazel eyes as she gave another small nod and looked down at her hands. The hands that so many years before longed to hold a tiny child in, to run down their soft puffy cheeks and to soothe away all their pain and fear. Tabby could see that her mother was torn by her emotions, and the teen wanted nothing more than to rush to her side and hug all her sadness away just as she had when she was a young girl.

Taking a deep and calming breath, Gwen lifted her eyes. "And there's nothing we can do to…to save her?"

"She's been completely brainwashed, Gwen. She thinks _we're_ the bad guys. Mike tried to tell her he was her dad and that you were still alive, but…she's too far gone, Gwen. I…I'm sorry." Don said softly, his shoulders slumping in defeat. It had been all of theirs hope that they would find Mike and Gwen's daughter safe and sound and be able to bring her back down into their family where she belonged. But time and fate had other plans for them all, and Naomi being a part of their family wasn't part of it.

Gulping hard and sniffling, Gwen quickly wiped at her eyes as she nodded once more.

"Then," She paused to take a deep breath before continuing, "then you guys should do what you have to do in order to get Liz and Andy back safely."

Tabitha couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had found her long lost older sister, and she just _happened_ to be the same person who's been out to kill them all and kidnapped her own cousin and Tabby's best friend! Of course she was out to kill them; it only made sense to Tabitha…_not!_

"Don was able to attach one of his tracking chips to her cloak before she got away. So with any luck, we'll be able to at least find out where she went running off to. Maybe she'll even lead us to the kids." Leo said, his own voice rather tight with emotion.

Don smiled a little and shrugged shyly as he looked around at their little group. "It was nothing, really."

"Ey…how did ya get dat t'ing attached, Brainiac?" Raphael questioned as he slipped an arm protectively around Angie's waist, pulling her in closer to him. After the night they had just had, he needed her closeness to him in order to calm his nerves some.

Don smiled a little more and blushed a slightly deeper shade of green as he fidgeted with his hand-held tracker. "I uh…well…actually…it was a very lucky toss when she rushed past us and headed for Leo. That was the only time I got close enough."

All eyes turned to Donatello in surprise. Lucky toss indeed! If he had missed by even a fraction of an inch, his plan would have been botched completely. A wide and goofy smile spread across Michelangelo's face as he moved to clasp his brother on the shoulder.

"Way to go, Donnie! Look out Kerry Woods!"

Unable to keep her questions locked up inside any longer, Tabitha broke away from her hiding place, her eyes wide and hopeful.

"You found a way to find Lizzie and Andy? Well what are you waiting for!? Where are they!? Why don't we call the cops or something? Have them send in the S.W.A.T. team and everything?"

"Tabitha Lynn! You know better than to eavesdrop on us. If this had involved you, we would have called you down here." Gwen scolded, her pain momentarily displaced on her youngest daughter. Tabitha took a step back at her mother's tone and gulped some as she looked at the disapproving eyes of her relatives. Feeling suddenly sheepish, her fingers moved back to the cuffs of her sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry, mama." She answered softly, her gaze focused on her sneakers. A heavy silence hung over the family for a moment before a heavy hand was placed on her shoulders. Lifting her eyes, Tabitha felt her lip tremble a little as she looked up into the eyes of her Uncle Raph. He'd never been the type to show compassion or sympathy to anyone—at least, not while his brothers were present, he _did_ have a reputation to uphold after all.

"It ain't dat easy, kiddo. If we called da cops an' told 'em we had an idea where two kids were bein' held hostage, dey'd ask us how we know, or what made us t'ink we knew, where we got our information…all sorts of questions we can't answer. 'Sides, if we called da cops…it wouldn't end dis war. Yer dad an' us have seen it too many time where da cops got called in only ta have da bad guys book it at the sounds of the door bein' bust down, den go into hidin' so dat dey could strike out an' finish dere jobs when e'erybody t'ink dat dey's dead or behind bars. Dis is somet'ing we gotta finish on our own."

Tabitha shook her head as she looked at her Uncle Raph, and then at her mom and dad. "No…no it's not! We could get Andy's parents to help us! They live topside, people would believe them and…and they could—"

"That's completely out of the question, Tabitha. The last thing we want is to involve anymore innocent people in this mess. It's bad enough your friend is being wrongfully held; we don't need anyone else being hurt or killed. This is our war and ours alone." Leonardo stated, his shoulders squared and his posture alone telling Tabitha anything she said after that would only be falling on deaf ears.

Giving a huff of defeat and squaring her own shoulders, Tabitha jerked her shoulder away from Raphael's grasp and stormed back up the stairs. Why was it the child was never right? Everything that came from their mouths was always ridiculous to the adult. She was willing to bet every last penny she had that at some point in time, any one of the adults downstairs would suggest what she had just said, thinking it to be their own thought, and the other's would agree it was a great idea and they would finally do it. That was how adults worked after all.

Frowning, Tabby sighed as she leaned against the wall outside her bedroom. From the way things were starting to sound, this was not going to be a war with a happy ending. Not that war generally had a happy ending per se, but she supposed for the side that won it was considered a happy ending. A part of her wanted to believe that theirs would be the side to win and have the happy ending, but there was this feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't quite shake that told her there would be no more happy endings for their family. Their luck had run out.

Taking in a shaky breath, she gulped hard before rushing into her bedroom. Jotting down an address on a piece of scrap paper, she quickly moved the back way through the lair, hoping to avoid the adults still in the living room as she slipped down to Dean's room. The boy was still suffering from a high fever due to his lack of sleep, and was ordered to as much bed rest as was possible until he was feeling better. Scooting against the wall, Tabitha slid unnoticed past the adults and into her cousin's room.

It was dimly lit by the few scattered candles placed around his room and smelt of green tea. Gulping back memories of her grandfather, the girl moved to sit at the side of Dean's bed. He looked so pitiful lying there under layers of blankets, his hair matted to his neck and forehead. Biting at her lip, she gently shook him awake.

"Dean…Dean wake up. Listen to me, Dean. Are you awake? You need to listen to me." She whispered, shaking his shoulder gently until she was sure he was as awake as could be and paying attention. Taking his hand, she pressed the piece of paper into his palm and closed his fingers around it. "You need to do something for me, Dean, something very important."

"What is it?" He questioned hoarsely.

"I can't explain it…but…I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen soon, something really bad. I want you to _promise me_ that when you see the fit hit the shan, you take Mitsu and you run, you run as fast as you can away from here. I want you to go to this address. This is where Andy's parents live, they owe our dad's a big favor…and it'll be time to cash it in. Can you promise me you'll do that?"

Dean's eyes watered slightly as he thought back on his nightmares; the visions of him running with a sobbing Mitsu through the streets, unsure of where he was going, just knowing he was being chased by something that was pure evil. He wanted to shake his head and tell her no, because if he told her no then surely none of it would take place. Besides, it was nearly Christmas…there was only about one week left until Christmas and nothing bad _ever_ happened on Christmas. Seeing the fear in Tabitha's eyes though made the poor boy's head nod automatically.

"Good boy…thank you. You should…you should get some more rest, you still don't look so hot." She said, a small smile on her face as she playfully ruffled his hair before scooting back out the door.

Dean sniffled as he looked at his rice paper door, the multicolored lights from the tree in the living room dimly shone through, blinking in and out and casting the illusion of the bouncing flames from a fire. Gulping down hard, he clamped his eyes shut to block out the sights…if only it were that easy to block out the sights and sounds he saw being foretold in his dreams.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Nope...still not mine except for the wives, kids, Dark Shadow, and that evil man Usagi :shakes fist at him:**

**Author's note: I deeply and sincerely apologize for the insane amount of time it's taken me to continue writing this. My TMNT creative juices have been greatly diminishing so it's been very difficult for me to write for them lately. I also apologize for how short this chapter is...honestly, it's just a filler chapter I scatted out last night when I couldn't think of anything else to do. So, it's a little more insight into Shadow and what's going on in her mind as the final battle between her and turtles draws ever closer. Those of you who are still reading this, you'll be happy to know I have THREE PAGES for chapter 18 written right now...I would like to say look for it to be posted tomorrow...but as I won't be home tomorrow, I'll be out having an pre-birthday celebration with my mom, not gonna happen. Maybe and hopefully by Sunday sometime I'll have it posted. I'll kick my butt tonight to get it finished for ya's. At any rate...enjoy this tidbit and please don't forget to review.  
**

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Chapter Seventeen: Into the Darkness--Part Two

:Shadow's Journal:

Two days I have sat alone in my solitude; my only comfort is the knowledge that the children of our enemies are suffering a fate worse than death. I hear their screams of anguish even though the distance; feel their pain as they are beaten for answers. The boy is growing weaker, his will to go on nothing more than a faint glimmer now. The girl is much stronger, determined to go on; I feel her hatred even now. Now and only now do they know the kind of pain and suffering my mother must have gone through in her final days.

Still, there is a part of me that is ever growing within, gnawing at my mind, telling me that perhaps those freaks of nature are correct; that my mother lives. The darkness has a way to distort one's mind. Many times I have felt a calming warmth brush across my face, a gentle and fragile hand rest on my shoulder, a distant voice whispering that name again, Naomi, though I know that no one is here with me. Could it be that what those creatures were telling me was true? That I was not a failed experiment; that I was the lost member to their clan they had searched so long to find?

Questions come to me now in spades. Why would my master deceive me and make me believe what is not true? Where is my mother if she truly lives? Is she truly human as my master claims? Why has she not come in search of me herself? Could the girl I hold captive be my own flesh and blood family? Am I truly seeking vengeance for myself, or for my master who fails to fight for himself?

So many questions cloud my mind and my judgment. What reason do I have to believe those who have tried to kill me and my master?

At war are my heart and my mind, though neither truly know which side they are on either. A part of my heart is telling me to trust the turtles, that what they have been telling me is the truth; while the other part of my heart and mind remain cold and unrelenting, not daring to trust anyone but my master.

Again, again I hear the faint voice calling the name. I feel a faint energy, as if a vision were attempting to commune with me. The voice is far from unpleasant. It is calming, warm, and though I have little experience with feeling love, I expect this voice is what it would feel like. Thick with a Japanese accent, it is older sounding. It brings to mind stories of Japanese elders who would leave this pitiful plane to float among the other spirits in the astral plane. It engulfs me now; this unknown source of warmth and comfort.

Many years ago, when I was a child forced to sit here in my dark cell for days with no relief, I would feel this same warmth and comfort come to me. It would wrap itself around my body as if it were the warmest and softest of all blankets. As I grew older, I learned to block it from my senses, as master has many times told me a true warrior needs not comfort nor warmth; those two things cause a warrior to grow lazy, weak, and slow to respond. So why now have I begun to feel it once more?

I open myself up to this warmth now though. I feel it pulse through to my bones. Faint sounds mingle and mix within my mind. A vision appears to my mind's eye. A woman. A woman with a kind smile and merry laugh. Her hazel eyes sparkle as she moves locks of wavy brown hair from her face. In her hands she holds a small cluster of orchids of the palest and most beautiful shades of pink and purple. I hear not the words she is saying, but hear the song in her voice. My heart clenches as the vision fades back to the darkness I know all too well.

The warmth and comfort that previously blanketed me slipping away just as slowly and gently as it had arrived.

Her face haunts me now.

I know not her name, nor why I received such a vision. Could I have just been shown my mother, alive and well?

Anger boils deep within me now. If she lives, how dare she seem so happy and carefree! What right has she to be so happy? Confusion, anger, uncertainty…these feelings well up within me so potent that I can scarcely breathe.

The darkness is growing thicker as my feelings grow rawer. Those who have wronged me shall parish; I shall conquer my enemies and punish them for what they have done.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Not mine, just my OC's...you know who they are! No takies!**

**Author's Note: My apologies for this not being up sooner. I really did have it all finished and ready to post on Sunday, but the fit hit the shan and well...one thing led to another and yeah, it just never got to happen. So...I'm posting it now. However, I'm going to be working ten straight days this week (well ok...four days on, one day off, six days on again! GAH! Hate that my bosses wife's best friend "works" on the nights I don't...she gets any day off she wants at the drop of a hat...even if it mines I have to cancel month old plans. Grrrr!!) so I doubt that I'll be getting the new chapter finished and posted any time in the next few days. But be patient with me please, I know it's been taking me a really long time to get this story finished...but I promise, it'll be worth the while. Don't forget to review it please!! Thank you...and good night!  
**

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Chapter Eighteen: "You Can Count on Us"

_December 23__rd__, 4:30pm._

The lair was quiet as Dean emerged from his room. His fever having broken finally the night before, he finally felt well enough to be among family again and to attempt to eat real food. His stomach twisted and gurgled as the scent of his aunt's famous arrangement of Christmas cookies drifted from the kitchen. Peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip, sugar with frosting and sprinkles, macaroons, and various assortments of others scattered across the table and counters of the eating area. How they all could still be out cooling without any of his cousins—or uncles for that matter—being there to try and steal some before they're ready, Dean didn't know.

His sock covered feet shuffled towards the table as he reached for a delicious looking peanut butter cookie that had a large, slightly melting, Hersey Kiss in the center of it. Those had always been his favorite, especially when they were still warm.

"Dean? What are you doing out of bed? Put that cookie down; those are for later." Angela instructed from her place at the oven where she was just readying herself to pull out the final trey of ginger snap cookies.

Giving a slight frown, Dean replaced the cookie and leaned weakly against the table. "I was hungry…and feeling better. I wanted to get something to eat."

"Well, why didn't you call one of us? We would have brought you something. Now sit down here. I think we might still have some chicken noodle soup here somewhere. I know Gwen made a whole huge thing of it…where'd it go?" Angie frowned as she spun from left to right, her eyes darting every which way for the pot that held the remains of their family lunch that day.

Dean couldn't help but chuckle a little as he pointed to the sink, the only place not occupied by cookies at the moment and instead occupied by a stainless steel pot.

"That wouldn't happen to be it, would it Aunt Angie?"

Angie paused for a moment before turning to look at it.

"Ah ha! There you are! Yes! That's exactly it." She answered, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard before filling it with the cool soup. Warming it for a few moments in the microwave, she set it and a spoon down in front of him before feeling his forehead.

"Hm…you are feeling a lot cooler. Well, eat that anyways and maybe later if you're still feeling good, I'll let you have some cookies. But not until we're sure you're going to be able to keep them down."

Dean nodded slowly as he began to spoon the soup into his mouth. He hadn't had one of his nightmarish dreams that past few times he'd been asleep; allowing his body to recuperate and fight off the horrible fever that plagued his young body. Though part of him wondered what it could have meant that he didn't have a foreboding dream. Had everything that happened as of late been nothing more than some horrible dream brought on by extreme illness? He'd heard about such things happening. That people so sick with fever imagined and dreamed out entire courses of events and felt as if what they'd dreamt had actually happened. Perhaps the past month had been nothing more than a horrible dream brought on by fever.

"Where is everyone?" He finally asked between slurps of noodles.

Angie looked up from her baking and frowned slightly. She didn't want to tell the poor thing the truth; that the other adults and all the children but him were training like fiends in the sewers, preparing for the battle they plain to extract the later that night. Sighing and lowering her eyes, she shook her head before placing the cookie he had taken before back by his bowl.

"Mitsie's taking a nap. Ya know what? I bet one cookie wouldn't hurt ya. How's the soup? Not too hot? Too cold? Not enough noodles? I keep forgetting you're the one who likes more noodles than chicken."

"No…it's fine, thank you." Dean answered. His aunt's avoidance of his question was all the answer he needed to hear. It hadn't just been a dream. It was all true and now, two days before Christmas, still weak and partly sick, Dean was helpless to help his family in their oncoming battle. "Are you going to be going with them when they go?"

"Yes, yes I am." Angela's heart broke as she saw her nephew's shoulders slump. She knew that he was against this in every way possible and just wanted his family to turn shell and run, but that just wasn't possible now. The men had made a vow to get Elizabeth and Andy back from the clutches of darkness which held them, and they were not about to just abandon them.

Sighing, Angie moved to sit next to him at the table. "Dean, this is something we have to do, all of us as a family. Your dad and uncle's, they've been up against a lot of things in their time but this isn't just your run-of-the-mill crooks we're dealing with. From what I've heard, these are elite and skilled ninja's the likes of which the guys have never really seen. They need all the help they can get if we're going to get Liz and Tabby's friend back. Please try to understand that your uncle's and dad would never do anything to put us directly in danger if they didn't think we could handle it."

Dean felt his throat tighten as he fought back the urge to cry. Why couldn't he make _them_ understand that nothing good would come from this fight if they didn't listen to him? Damn them and their foolish adult pride! His grip tightening around the spoon, he gulped hard before turning his gaze back to his aunt sadly.

"What about me? What am I supposed to do? I'm still not feeling well enough to fight. And what about Mitsu? She's too little, she'd never make it out there."

"We've all talked about that. Greggory will be here a little later to pick you two up and take you someplace safe until everything has ended and we come back to get you. You two will be fine."

Giving a disgruntled chortle, Dean set his spoon down and pushed his chair back out, his appetite suddenly gone. Shaking his head, he looked at his aunt sadly. "We may be fine…but nothing but pain and death waits for all of you if you go through with this. I'm not hungry anymore."

Turning, the boy slowly shuffled back to his room, leaving his now unnerved aunt seated at the table.

* * *

_5:45pm_

Moving quickly and silently through the sewer tunnels, Donatello couldn't help but allow his mind to wander back to the lair where his young son was—he thought—still sleeping his fever off. Dean had always had the ability to sense things before they happened, and as horrible as it sounded, Don was constantly trying to think of new ways to test and study his son's gift.

A tingle went up the back of his neck as he turned a corner and pressed against the cold damp wall. Someone was nearby.

Staying alert, Don crept down the tunnel deeper, still wondering if perhaps Dean was correct after all. Maybe going up against Dark Shadow was a bad idea. True, since he'd attached the tracking system to her hood, they'd been able to pin-point exactly where her hideout was located, and the night before even went so far as to scope it out for any possible way to break in undetected in order to rescue the teens. There's wasn't. Even with his master skills with technology, there were more cameras and motion sensors than imaginable. Fort Knox had less security than this place.

Pausing mid-step, a sad smirk moved across Don's beak. Faint humming, horribly off-key and nervous.

Silently taking a few steps closer, Don shook his head. He wished there was a better way to end this battle. Fighting had never been his choice to settle things. He, like Dean and George, was a pacifist. Weapons and fancy battle strategies never solved anything; at least not nearly as well as a good conversation. In wars, there were no winners, only losers. Both sides would lose more than their fair-share of warriors. If people would sit down first to discus their differences and come to at least a form of understanding, then needless bloodshed wouldn't take place and families would once again be together as a whole at special occasions instead of being torn apart…or coming together to bury the remains of their fallen one.

A shadow moved to his right, the humming growing faintly louder as it drew closer. He saw the offensive position of the shadow, nunchakus drawn and ready, head slowly scanning from right to left. Reaching out as Tabitha slinked by him, completely unaware of his presence, he wrapped his hand around her mouth to keep her from making any noise before pulling her back against the wall with him.

"Your humming gives you away, Tab. If you're going to try and sneak passed unnoticed, you have to be completely, one-hundred-percent silent." He whispered as he removed his hand from her mouth.

Tabitha frowned but nodded.

"I hum when I'm nervous, Uncle Don…but…I'll try not to."

Don nodded as he motioned to her nunchakus. "Make sure you keep one handle tucked between your body and arm, the other in your hand. The chains are less likely to clink that way. This is all basic things you should know by now, Tabitha."

"I'm sorry. I'm just…I'm scared, Uncle Donnie. I don't want anything to happen to anyone."

"I know. It'll be ok though. Your dad, Raph, Leo and I are all going out first…then your mom and aunts…then you kids. You're to be the last wave, remember? By the time you come out, we'll have gotten most of the trouble taken care of."

Tabitha frowned, her nose scrunching slightly as she fought back the urge to cry. "I…I'm not worried about us…I'm scared for you guys and mom. If anything happens to all of you…what'll happen with us? Who'll take care of us?"

Cringing inwardly, Don sighed as he placed a hand on his teenage niece's shoulder. There was a lot more depth to this girl than she let show; so much like her father it was almost scary. Trying to offer her a reassuring smile, he gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Nothing is going to happen to all of us. Now…remember what I told you about those. Tucked in close, and no humming. Ok?"

Nodding, Tabitha frowned as she moved to tuck one end each up between her arm and chest. Giving a slight nod, Don sighed heavily before nudging her gently.

"Ok…now go on. We'll meet you back at the lair in a little bit."

"Yes, Uncle Donnie."

Donnie watched as Tabitha slowly moved down the tunnel, her head bent low as she made her way back to the lair where her Aunt Julie stood guard at the door.

Sighing, he glanced back over his shoulder and around the corner. The shadow of a pair of Sais bounced off the far wall.

Involving the kids in this war was a heart-wrenching decision, but one that all the adults knew to be inevitable, Don just wished he could promise them that when the smoke finally cleared, it would be the good guys left standing safe and sound. Knowing that wasn't an option though, he shook his head sadly before ducking around the corner to stalk the body that went with the shadows on the walls.

* * *

_6:25pm_

_Drip, splat. Drip, splat. Drip, splat._

Michelangelo listened silently to the sounds of the sewer around him. He could hear the nails of the sewer rats as they went scurrying by his hiding place, squeaking at one another as they went. Water dripped from the pipes overhead, splashing into the tiny puddles and the grimy underground stream. From his place inside a defunct drainage pipe, Mike was able to see and hear anything that dared to creep down his way, which at the moment, consisted of the familiar rats and rodents, and the occasional sewer snake slipping by in search of his next meal.

Training in the tunnels below New York had always proved to be one of the best ways to learn the art of stealth attacks. In the tunnels, the faintest of sounds echoed and carried, bouncing from one wall to the next until it finally would reach an absorbent barrier such a debris walls and cave-ins, where it would be sucked in and destroyed. In the near distance, Mike could hear the soft and carefully planned out steps of someone doing their best to tread lightly and avoid the puddles at all costs.

Tilting his head ever so slightly to listen more closely, he smiled to himself. He knew those strategically placed steps; slow and deliberate as she slunk closer to him, her body pressed against the wall in an attempt to not be seen. Mike didn't have to see her though. His years of training and even video-gaming told him exactly where she was.

Forcing himself not the chuckle, he waited until Gwen was just getting ready to duck under his hiding place to swing his arm out and capture her around the waist, pulling her into the pipe with him.

"You're stealthy…but not nearly stealthy enough." He teased, lightly kissing her cheek as he sat her down next to him.

Gwen smiled slightly as she tugged her wavy brown hair down out of its ponytail and shook it free. Subtle strands of silver had been sneaking in to mix with the medium brown color for the past couple of years and she constantly teased that living in a home with eighteen other people was enough to give anyone pre-mature grey hairs. Running her fingers back through it and pulling it back up into a tight cluster, Gwen moved so she was facing her husband and shrugged.

"I don't have near the training everyone else has."

"True."

The pair sat in silence for a moment before Gwen finally spoke again, drawing Mike's attention back to her and off their mock maneuvers training run.

"Mike, is there any possible chance we could get Naomi to listen to us and understand that she has been lied to her whole life? Get her to listen to us so that we don't have to fight her?"

"I wish there was, babe, but I don't think there is. We've tried getting her to listen but," Mike sighed heavily and shook his head as he looked down at his hands, "I don't think we have any other choice."

His wife sat silently across from him in the dark, dank, drainage pipe. Her heart was heavy with despair and Mike knew that the last thing she wanted was to be involved in a battle that, no matter which side 'won', she would still lose a part of her family. Michelangelo's own heart was breaking at the thought of potentially having to watch as the daughter they never got to know was brought down by the hand of one of his own.

Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders slightly, Gwen lifted her head and looked at Mike through tearful hazel eyes. "Then, I want you to know, that if the only way to protect the rest of us is by having to…to take out this Dark Shadow, I'm ok with it."

"Gwen…"

"No, I mean it Mike, I'm ok with it." Gulping hard to bravely fight back her tears, Gwen shook her head once more and did her best to avoid looking at the horror and uncertainty on her husband's face. "Yes, she's our child, our own flesh and blood, but we have never been her parents. Her whole life she had been told that _we're_ the enemy. Even if we somehow were able to make her see that Higgins—because I'm certain that's who has been supposedly raising her—was in fact the bad guy and have her join us to defeat him, I don't think she would ever really feel as if she were one of us, as if she was truly accepted. So if it comes to the point where someone has the chance to finish things, I want them to take it. If it means being able to protect the kids and keep them out of harm's way, then…well…that's the way it will have to be."

Gulping slightly, Mike silently nodded as he reached across to take Gwen's hand. Holding it gently in his own, he was still amazed at how small and fragile it was compared to his own. It seemed like only yesterday that she had picked him up alongside that deserted country road in Illinois and took him in when he needed it most. To him, Gwen was still just as beautiful as she had been then. In the time it took to blink, it felt, they'd gone from learning of her pregnancy with Naomi to sitting there in that dirty pipe discussing how to best protect the rest of their family from the very same girl they'd had stolen from them all those years ago. Fate just wasn't fair sometimes.

"Ok babe, I'll let the bro's know." Mike answered softly before bringing her hand to his beak and placing a soft and gentle kiss to her knuckles. "You should head back home for awhile. We're in for one shell of a night."

Gwen nodded as she moved carefully to climb down from the pipe. Pausing long enough to give Mike a kiss on the cheek, she wrapped her arms around him in a loving hug. "I love you, Michelangelo. And in case I don't get to see you before it's time, be careful. I don't want the kids to remember Christmas as the night they lost their father."

Those words stung deep within the grown turtle. He didn't want that to happen either, but knew that the possibility was there that it _could_ happen. Giving a single nod, he held her close and inhaled deeply, imprinting in his heart and mind her exact and unique scent.

"I will, Gwen. You be careful, too."

Pulling away, the pair stared at each other for just a moment longer before Gwen slowly and as silently as possible, moved back towards their crowded home to wait.

* * *

_7:03pm_

Greggory Markus scanned the area cautiously as he pulled his rented van into the designated alleyway that he always used to enter and exit the sewers from. A strange tingle kept prickling at the back of his neck, similar to the feeling of being watched. Though he doubted that was possible since every time he checked his mirrors or looked over his shoulder he never saw even a darting shadow scoot by. Brushing it off as nerves, he put the van in park and hopped out.

He'd been friends with the turtles for the past seventeen years, ever since the day he'd tried to help them rescue Gwen and her unborn baby. He'd never meant to hurt her or anyone for that matter, and in fact, couldn't bring himself to kill a fly or spider even. His brother William, whom he'd heard had finally been found –what was left of him—floating off the shore of Maryland five years prior, had always told him he was too soft-hearted, taking pity on most any living creature, but most especially human's and anything with fur. Though William at the time had been the only family Greggory had left, it hadn't broken his heart when they parted ways; more to the point, when he'd been locked in the observation room so that William and Mr. Higgins could try to do away with Gwen. What had broken his heart was being helpless to save Gwen before she'd been wheeled off to be gutted like a fish.

Fresh light snow had just begun to fall as he quickly moved for the manhole cover. Quiet as a mouse, he removed the heavy metal cap and set it off to the side. Standing to put his mittens back on, Greggory stopped when he faintly heard what sounded like a pair of feet landing behind him. A sudden rush of fear over took him as he spun around to face the stalker.

Tall and strong, with the broadest shoulders he had ever seen, for a moment the former scientist turned veterinarian stood staring at the shadow person in confusion before they stepped into the light. The same dark and menacing eyes that had haunted his dreams for so many years glimmered in the faint light of the alley lamp. Behind him, another shadow moved; this one more feminine and ghost like in its movements. Both slowly approached the terrified man, backing him closer and closer to his van.

"Greggory Markus. My, my, my, what a pleasant surprise." The cold and smooth male voice said as he stepped closer yet.

Gulping hard, Greggory shook his head and whimpered slightly. "N-no…no y-you can't be here. Go away! Go away! You aren't…you aren't really here!"

Oruku Usagi smirked as he watched the color fade from his former employee's face. It brought him so much joy to see that he still was able to elicit such raw fear in people and make them cower where they stood. Hearing Shadow step up beside him, Usagi glanced to his right to look at her before smiling back at Greggory sickeningly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Greggory. That is no way to greet an old friend and his young apprentice."

"Wh-what do you want? Go away!"

Moving with lightning speed, Shadow sprang forward, the deadly tri-points of her sai burying deep into the man's side, narrowly missing all vital organs. Screaming out in pain, Greggory began to crumble to his knees as Shadow removed her weapon and held him by his shoulder, pressed hard against the van so that Usagi could speak with him.

"You know exactly what I want, Markus, and this time you _will_ help me get it." Usagi growled, his eyes narrowed into thin slits.

Whimpering in pain, Greggory shook his head. "N-no…no I won't. I-I won't help you ever again! I won't…won't let you hurt them!"

"You're brother had been right about you, Greggory. You are foolish and weak. Fine then, if you refuse to help me, I have no choice but to finish what my previous soldiers failed to do." Turning to Shadow, Usagi nodded.

"My dear, finish him."

* * *

_7:17pm _

Leonardo and Raphael had been the ones to hear the horrifying screams of agony followed by the sickening _thud_ of a body hitting the concrete platform beneath the alley manhole. Being in the same tunnel but at different ends, both brothers had turned when they heard the sound and took off running at full speed. They weren't sure what exactly had happened; only that someone was in trouble and they were quite possibly the only ones nearby enough to do anything to help. What they found when they met just outside the circle of light that was being cast down onto the platform from the alley above caused them both to gape in surprise.

Lying there before them, covered in blood and barely breathing, was the beaten and broken body of their long time friend, Greggory Markus. Leo glanced up at the manhole opening cautiously, checking to see if whoever had done this to their friend was standing watch, waiting for them to come to his aide. When he was certain no one was waiting, he motioned to Raph to carefully help him in moving the poor man's body.

"U…sa-sagi…he…"

"Shh…don't speak now, Greggory. Everything will be fine." Leo said softly as he dug into his obi to pull his trusty shell-cell out to call for his other brothers and wife to come in as backup. He heard the low growl rumble in Raph's throat as he knelt next to Greg and removed his red bandana to tie around the gash in the man's head in an attempt to stop the blood flow from at least that cut.

"Don, it's Leo. Raph and I need your help. Bring Mike and Sue with you, floral alley entrance, Greggory's been hurt."

"P-please…l-li-listen to me…U-Usagi…he's o-out th-there…he has…a g-girl n-ninja…she…"

"Dark Shadow," Raph growled looking between their human friend and his older brother. Frowning, Leo nodded and glanced back to the place where Greggory had been tossed through.

Turning back to Greggory, he gently placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a forced reassuring smile to him.

"Everything is going to be fine, Greggory. You are going to be fine. Don and Sue are on their way and they are going to get you fixed up."

His amber brown eyes turning from the man to his brother once more, Raph knew Leo was just trying to keep Greggory calm and relaxed. Don and Sue wouldn't be able to help him even if they reached him right that very minute. He'd lost too much blood already and—though he was far from being a doctor—Raphael could tell that at least two of the wounds had been inflicted in just the right place and way to insure a slow and painful death.

Greggory struggled for breath as he looked up at two of the turtles he'd since come to call brothers. The look on their faces was all he needed to know that he wouldn't be there to see them defeat Usagi for—hopefully—the final time. Leo took Greggory's hand and held it securely in his own.

"It's alright, Greggory." He finally said softly and soothingly, as if giving the man permission to give up his painful plight. "Usagi and Shadow will not live long enough to regret the pain they have brought upon our family."

"We're gonna make 'em pay fer wha' dey did ta ya, Greggo. You can count on us." Raph added as his eyes and throat burned with the need to release his pent up sorrow. He hadn't to admit it, but Greggory had been one hell of a good guy. Hell, he'd been the one to help Don deliver every last one of their kids, with the obvious exception of Leo's three step-children.

Taking in one final shaky breath, Greggory tightened his hold on Leo's hand for just a moment, his eyes unfocused as he stared off into the darkness, before his punctured and battered lungs deflated for the last time, the muscles of his jaw relaxing enough for his final breath to escape in a hollow whisper.

* * *

_7:30pm_

Ying-Su, along with her two brothers-in-law, moved quickly through the tunnels, her first aid kit and home med pack clasped tightly in her hands. She wasn't sure to what extent Greggory had been injured, but she had the feeling if Leo requested the help of both other brothers as well as her, that it must not have been just a few scrapes and scratches. The trio was silent as could be as they ran for the entrance that led up to the alley just outside of Gwen's floral shop. Each member praying to themselves that they weren't too late.

Drawing up short when the sight of Leo and Raph both kneeling next to Greggory's lifeless body came into view, Sue felt her stomach lurch and heart stop. Even from a distance she could sense the pain and sorrow her husband was in as he gently placed two of his large fingers on the man's eyes, carefully shutting them for the final time. Placing the hand he'd been holding back across Greggory's chest, Leo reached over to place a comforting touch to Raphael's shoulder.

"Aw man…not Greg…" Mike whispered softly to himself, his head shaking in sad disbelief.

Stepping up next to her husband, Sue frowned.

"I got here as soon as I could. I'm sorry I couldn't have been here sooner."

"There wasn't anything you could have done, Sue."

Both Leo and Raph moved to stand once more before looking to their two younger brothers. Tears were already forming in Mike's eyes as he stared down at the body before them. Michelangelo had always held a special place for Greggory close to his heart for everything the man had done seventeen years before when Gwen had been taken from him. Without Greggory's compassion and sympathy for Gwen, Mike's children never would have been born and his wife quite probably would have been simply dumped in the garbage carelessly once Usagi and his henchman had finished with her.

Placing his hand on Sue's shoulder, Leo looked between the four of them, his face set in stone determination. It was time. "This war ends tonight. We will make Usagi pay for his crimes; and if need be, as will Shadow. They will pay for what they have done to our family."


End file.
